There are times when some people like to mark a special occasion with shots fired, sometimes up into the air. The problem is this: What goes up must come down, and a bullet returning down can become a dangerous projectile.
Last Monday, the Fishers City Council held a work session and discussed the possibility of enacting a city ordinance dealing with “dangerous projectiles.”
Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart told council members his department has seen a marked increase in the number of calls reporting shots fired, with officers processing 197 weapons connected to an investigation in 2018, up 47 percent compared to 2017. This is happening all around the city, according to the chief.
Mayor Scott Fadness said the ordinance he is proposing is not dealing with a “bad guy wanting to shoot at someone,” because there are already plenty of laws addressing that.
“We’re talking about the guy who thinks it’s a good idea to go shoot his gun off on New Year’s Eve because he thinks it’s celebratory,” Fadness told councilors. The mayor says this proposed ordinance is a way to prevent bad things from happening.
City Attorney Chris Greisl said Fishers currently has no ordinance on the books that prevents the discharge of a weapon in the city. State rules often make it difficult for municipalities to enact gun laws, according to Greisl. The city is proposing to prohibit the discharge of a weapon within Fishers city limits, with the exception of protecting your life in self-defense.
Councilman Brad DeReamer voiced concern about Britton Falls, which is located right on the line between the city and the county. He said guns are sometimes fired on county property, but the projectiles land in Britton Falls. Greisl said in such a situation, the county prosecutor’s office would decide whether charges would be filed for criminal recklessness in such a case.
The proposed ordinance calls for a $250 fine for violators, doubled if not paid within 30 days.
The city council is expected to review the first draft of this ordinance at a future council session.
At the same work session, council members considered two other items.
- Council members discussed how to deal with deteriorating sidewalks in many Fishers neighborhoods. The mayor said he will look into what the city’s role might be and will present a proposal to the city council.
- The problem of private roads in commercial areas of the city not being properly maintained was once again a topic of discussion. Council members appeared to favor using what is legally termed a “Barrett Law” which would force adjacent business owners to pay for the upkeep of the private roads providing access to their businesses by paying for work over a number of years. Having businesses build and maintain their own roads is a policy that dates back to the days of Fishers being a town. Mayor Fadness described that as “an experiment that failed.” The city is expected to present a proposal to the council soon using the Barrett Law to finance maintenance on that streets.