On Wednesday, January 9, East Chicago Police Chief Mark Becker addressed the Portage Exchange Club at the weekly breakfast meeting at Miller's Assisted Living. Becker was formerly Police Chief in Portage.
Becker discussed some of the differences he has found between the communities of East Chicago and Portage.
“One aspect of Portage that is very different from East Chicago is the presence of civic clubs such as the Exchange Club, Lions, Rotary, and so forth. Your clubs do so much in the community. East Chicago is very religious-based, which is a bold contrast to the violence that exists there. But the churches do what they can to provide instruction and a firm foundation for the residents.”
He warned of gang activity and the availability of drugs becoming more prominent in Porter County, as people involved in these activities seek a safe haven. He commended Porter County police departments for their increased vigilance.
Becker also gave a warning to parents and grandparents to be aware of drug activity among younger children.
“Abuse of prescription drugs is quickly becoming the most widely spread problem among our kids. Eight-, nine- and ten-year-old children are stealing pills from their parents’ and grandparents’ prescriptions to use or sell to their friends. Even if your kids aren’t doing it, if they have friends over, those kids could be doing it. You might not miss one or two pills. Be sure to keep your prescriptions where kids can’t get to them, and keep track of what you have.”