(Michigan City, IN) - A grassroots organization was recently formed to get more citizens actively involved in reducing crime in Michigan City. The Michigan City Crime Prevention and Safety Organization invites the public to its first organizational meeting on April 4.

 

Second Ward Councilman Paul Przybylinski was involved in forming the group out of concern and frustration that more was is not being done about crime in Michigan City.

 

“We want to help the community do something instead of just sitting and not doing anything and assist where we can assist,” Przybylinski said.

Ed Bohle, Jr., a former police officer and retired construction worker, said the organization would serve as an umbrella over Neighborhood Watch groups they hope to reestablish throughout the city. The idea is to have more citizens keep an eye out for crime and other suspicious activity and report their concerns and possible evidence to the police.

 

“A lot of crimes are solved on tips of that nature,” Bohle said.

The group will also educate citizens on how to prevent becoming a victim of crime. Bohle was a police officer in Michigan City when residents were organized to provide law enforcement with extra sets of eyes and ears during the ’70s and ’80s.

 

“It was a very good solution, and it did work. We’re just trying to reinvent, I guess, the Neighborhood Watch programs," Bohle explained. 

The continued rash of shootings and other crimes like robberies, auto theft, burglaries, and vandalism drives the effort.

 

Bohle now works private security for the owner of a warehouse near Chicago Street that recently was getting broken into and vandalized, on average, once a week.

 

Przybylinski hopes input from more citizens will better determine the causes of the uptick in crime and how to address it more effectively.

 

“It’s about organizing and finding out what’s happening and coming up with solutions,” Przybylinski said.

According to Michigan City Police, there were six homicides last year compared to eight in 2020. In addition, non-fatal shootings dropped from 24 to 19 last year. There were also 399 complaints of shots fired in 2021, which slightly increased from the previous year.

 

Bohle said gun violence wasn’t as much of a problem when he was on the police force.

 

“If we had two shootings a year, that was it. It’s kind of out of hand,” Bohle said.

The meeting at 6 p.m. will be inside the Mikropor training center at 4921 Ohio Street.