County, TH offices to close May 16
By Peter Ciancone
Tribune-Star
In an effort to put more police officers on the street, Terre Haute and Vigo County offices will close on the date Timothy McVeigh is scheduled to be executed.
Mayor Judy Anderson and Commissioners Judy Anderson, Bill Bryan and Paul Mason made the announcement Friday in a news conference in the County Council chambers, adding their offices to the local courts and schools that will not be open that day.
"After considerable discussion with various police agencies at the local, state and federal level, the Vigo County commissioners and mayor have determined that it would be in the best interest of the community to close all city and county offices on May 16," Bryan said.
The move will release for patrol an additional eight officers on the day of the execution and will reduce the threat of incident in public buildings.
"My concern was being open here [in county offices] with protesters in Fairbanks Park," Bryan said. The county offices sit across First Street from where demonstrators will be allowed to gather in the park. "We couldn't tell them not to use our restrooms."
Vigo County Treasurer Ray Watts said he thought the closings were a logical preventative measure.
"You only need one bomb scare to tie everybody up," he said.
Mayor Anderson said the police switchboard will still be open to answer routine calls, 911 dispatch will be open for emergency calls, and people can still access City Hall by ringing the buzzer at the back door of the building. The city bus service and Street Department will operate that day.
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