Pontiac City Council addresses concerns, offers praise

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 5:26 PM CDT

By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com

PONTIAC — Pontiac City Council members on Tuesday praised city police and school officials for how they handled the Aug. 28 gun incident at Pontiac Township High School.

Pontiac Police Chief Dale Newsome reviewed the incident in which one student is accused of bringing six guns to school to sell to another student. Another student told police he saw the guns on the school bus, and that prompted a 3½-hour Code Red lockdown and search at the school.

Three students now face weapons possession charges.

Alderwoman Kelly Eckoff said her daughter is a senior at the school. She said the situation was handled so well that her daughter never felt any fear or anxiety.

“I was at home sick ... and my daughter called me up and said ‘Mom, I was never scared.’ She felt like everything went well and I give kudos to everyone,” Eckoff said.

Other aldermen said they had heard only positive comments about the police and school officials handled the situation.

Newsome said the Code Red lockdown plan has been in effect at the high school for only 1½ years and it was practiced three times last year. It looks like that practice paid off, Newsome said, because everything went exactly according to plan.

“I give credit to the men and women of the Pontiac police force for their swift and professional response, and credit goes out to the students, faculty and staff of PTHS because they did what we practiced and it went smoothly,” Newsome said.

Open council seat

Before the council started the meeting, a moment of silence was observed for Ward 5 Alderman Don Stalter, who died Aug. 21.

“We all respected Don for his work on City Council and the work outside in his community, and it is very sad to see his chair empty tonight,” Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy said. “He won’t be forgotten.”

McCoy is accepting applications until Sept. 10 for someone to fill the seat. They must be mailed to City Hall, 115 W. Howard St., or e-mailed to scott.mccoy@pontiac.org.