TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — It’s been one month since Terre Haute’s new mayor Brandon Sakbun took office.
On Wednesday, Sakbun, along with other new leaders in the city spoke about the first month in office. Mayor Sakbun says it’s been a busy month and feels his administration is off to a strong start.
Sakbun also said the Terre Haute Redevelopment Office has been working to get about 20 vacant lots, transferred to developers for infill housing. Sakbun also noted that the city is identifying homes that need to be condemned and taken down.
He explained why that’s important to public safety.
“This past month we had incredibly cold temperatures which the street department handled very well, but we also see during the wintertime those that are unhoused kind of going into some of these condemned properties,” Sakbun said. “At times, this can create a second and third-order effect from trespassing to a structure fire, and it really sheds light on our problems of poverty here in Terre Haute. Indiana.”
Terre Haute’s new police and fire chiefs also spoke on Wednesday. Fire chief Darrick Scott said the department’s frontline firefighters will soon be fully staffed.
“It’s been great. Got a lot of work ahead of us. The big thing is making sure our men and women have a full staff and this mayor in this administration has put that at priority one.”
Police chief Kevin Barrett said his department is getting ready for its recruitment period, taking place from February 23 through April 8.
‘We’re at a part where we’re 3 or 4 officers down but we have 50 patrol patrol officers with less than 5 years on,” Barrett said. “That’s a third of the department, so we’re working with that. We’re developing internal leadership engagement programs.”
Also on Wednesday, the Terre Haute Police Department received accreditation from the Indiana Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.
