Officials give assurances
Business as usual
Prison, police representatives pledge to keep disruptions along Indiana 63 to a minimum
By Michele Holtkamp
Tribune-Star
Prison officials and local police promised to ensure that life for those living or doing business near the U.S. Penitentiary will go on as normal during mid-May, they told those neighbors Tuesday night.
That includes allowing Indiana 63 to remain open and not stopping or questioning drivers during the days surrounding the May 16 execution of Timothy McVeigh, Warden Harley G. Lappin said.
"You should be able to get to and from work, and your children should be able to get wherever they need to go," Lappin told a group of more than 150 residents and business owners who live near the penitentiary on Tuesday night. They had gathered at the prison training center, north of the prison, to find out if prison officials and police will protect their interests during the days near McVeigh's execution.
"Our intent through all this is to lessen, or lift, the burden on our neighbors," Lappin said.
Even a nearby pizza place wanted to know how it can resume its normal daily deliveries to penitentiary employees.
Terre Haute police, the Vigo County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police plan to combine efforts to ease traffic flow and deal with any other problems that may arise near the penitentiary.
"You're going to see more city police officers on duty at any time of the day than you've ever seen before," said Jeff Trotter, assistant chief of city police.
Fifty U.S. marshals will be in the area, along with 30 FBI agents and 650 Bureau of Prisons employees.
The Indiana State Police can bring in troopers from around the state to help with patrols, and all 38 sheriff's deputies will be working, chief deputy Jon Marvel said. City police will have mini-headquarters at each park where demonstrators are meeting.
The day before the execution, when McVeigh is moved to the execution area, an additional wave of local security will be added, officials said.
The media will be stationed on prison grounds to keep them off neighbors' properties. Even though some of the nearby homeowners may rent out their driveways and lawns to members of the media, it should be fairly easily to keep trespassers away, officials said. They offered three steps: Post clearly visible "no trespassing" signs, ask trespassers to leave, and call the local authorities.
"They should not be across the street unless you allow them over on your property," Lappin said.
Prison officials can dictate what media will be at the penitentiary and where they will be stationed. Those estimated 1,300 people are pre-registered and will wear press passes.
And while they can say how demonstrators come to the grounds and what they may bring, they have no idea how many might show up. The same unknown applies for sightseers and passers-by who just want to get a glimpse of the action.
"I wish I could give you an estimate on how may demonstrators there are going to be," Lappin said. "Unfortunately, we have no idea."
Most residents voiced concern over just that.
To ease their concerns, Lappin spoke of the plan to bus in demonstrators.
At 6 p.m. on May 15, demonstrators will start gathering and parking at their respective parks; pro-death penalty at Voorhees Park and anti-death penalty at Fairbanks Park. Bureau buses, accompanied by city police officers, will begin bringing the demonstrators to the penitentiary at midnight on May 16. The demonstrators are limited in what they can bring with them, Lappin said, indicating only such items as a cell phone or beeper, medication, a rolled poster, a candle, Bible and hymn book may be allowed.
"We hope that the folks who come visit with us will be peaceful," Lappin said. "We anticipate that."
Members of both demonstration camps will be separated by a low fence and a wide space in between them. They're not being caged, Lappin said. The fence is simply to let them know the boundaries.
"These folks will never mingle - we hope," Lappin
said.
The penitentiary will not limit how many demonstrators can come
onto the penitentiary grounds. However, they will set a time near
7 a.m. that buses will stop running to the grounds. And that's
the demonstrators only way in.
"Hopefully, by 8 o'clock at the latest, we're moving people back the other way," Lappin said.
Police stressed, however, that they cannot dictate what those demonstrators do with their spare time in Terre Haute.
"None of us can predict what one individual may or may not do," Lappin said. But, "I truly believe right now, we're well-prepared for things that may arise in the community."
Back to Archived Stories Index