by Ken Davidson
2 Gary Code Enforcement Officers sit outside a business at 11th and Grant on Saturday evening
In response to the Gazette article regarding a large police presence at 11th and grant on Saturday November 2, the Mayor issued a statement which we will attach below. The Gazette asked the Mayor for specific details on the use of police officers at that location including who authorized the use of most of the Gary police department. You will recall that the Gazette reported that at least one officer remained at the property during most of the night. Up to 9 officers were involved according to witness reports.
The statement issued is as follows:
"On Friday, November 1, 2013 the Code Enforcement Department, in conjunction with the Building Department, placed a "Do Not Occupy" sign on the building located on1434 West 11th Avenue and padlocked the gates surrounding the property. Inspectors from the Code Enforcement, Environmental Affairs, and Building Department had previously inspected the property, and it was determined that there were serious safety issues concerning the structure. City ordinance allows for the Building Commissioner to make the determination that a building or structure cannot beoccupied. It was determined by the City of Gary that the structure posed an imminent threat to the health and safety of the public. On Friday, members of the CodeEnforcement team and legal department were present at the property to execute the "Do Not Occupy" order issued by the Building Commissioner. On subsequent days, necessary measures were taken to ensure that the "Do Not Occupy" order was followed. There is a hearing scheduled on November 15 on the City of Gary's Motion to Cease and Desist, which was filed August 2, 2013. The City staff regularly reviews public nuisance related complaints and citations to ensure effective prosecution." -Karen Freeman-Wilson The Gazette continues to follow this story.
Northwest Indiana Gazette 
So what makes this building any different than all the other vacant falling down structures in Gary? the buildings downtown gary with bricks falling off of them are less a danger than a property in the middle of nowhere? this would make sense in any other city but not Gary
With all the “unsafe” buildings in Gary, it’s no wonder they need the National Guard..if they feel the need to go to such extremes to prevent occupation of ALL such buildings! SMH and LOL
Stalinism. Another tactic in an attempt to suppress criticism of the administration. Has anyone looked at the city’s building down the street from this one on 11th and Madison? Now that building has already collapsed and city workers are still working out of it. The building on 11th and Grant in this story appears to be in fair condition. There must be a lot more to this story than meets the eye.
I was going to ask who ticked off a politician! And the people if Gary should be outraged that the Gary PD is being use in that fashion vs fighting all the damn crime in that City!!
This building is as structurally sound as any building in the city. It is far more structurally sound than most of the other buildings in the neighborhood. I would encourage anyone who is interested to take a drive around the neighborhood in which the business is located. There is street after street of abandoned houses, many of them in utter states of collapse. This action has absolutely nothing to do with the structural soundness of the building and everything to do with silencing someone’s voice that is critical of many of the actions of this administration. This whole police action is an attempt to restrict my right to free speech. The best way to get someone to stop being critical of what they are doing is for them to quit doing such asinine things. It is a shame that the code enforcement department that was specifically funded by the federal government to address specific issues with residential housing in specifically targeted areas of the city has again been corrupted and is now being used as a weapon against critics of this administration. Meanwhile, the neighborhoods that could have benfited by this federal grant go completely unserved and neglected. Par for the course!