Hammond FOP's Mike Elkmann, left, and Terry Peck, Gary FOP

Police unions at odds in Majestic Star Casinos sale and relocation

Contributed By:The 411 News

The pending sale and relocation of Majestic Star Casinos out of Gary is not only churning through the halls of the Indiana legislature but also in the lodges of the Fraternal Order of Police in Gary and Hammond.

At a hearing last week in the Senate’s Public Policy Committee on Senate Bill 552, the proposed buyer of Majestic Star Casinos two licenses, Spectacle Entertainment, would be allowed to move one of the casinos to another location in Gary. At that same hearing, Spectacle announced it would build a new casino and hotel in Gary; the most likely site would be along I-80/94. The 2nd license would move to Terre Haute or could be purchased by a current Indiana casino that wants to expand.

Although Spectacle wants to buy both licenses, that will be determined by the Indiana Gaming Commission.

Speaking against the Majestic Star relocation to another site in Gary was Hammond FOP Lodge 51 President Mike Elkmann. Elkmann told the committee, “Gary has nothing but a history of scandal, corruption, misappropriation, moving money around, hiding money, stealing money.” He added, “We've got residents who are fearful to drive through the city of Gary because of the homicide rate, because of the crime rate. It's a dangerous place to be. Nobody wants to go to Gary. Nobody wants to relocate their business to Gary. They've had their opportunity."

Those words “belong in the toilet,” said Terry Peck, Gary FOP President, Lodge 61, in his reply to Elkmann. “He was there, standing next to his mayor, to “say” the words that his Mayor couldn’t, out of political expediency.”

Peck was referring to Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott. When the Majestic sale was first announced in November, mayors of Hammond and Portage were among city leaders in northwest Indiana and across the state seeking the 2nd license.

Peck said, “Elkmann has exposed himself to be a political mouth-piece to Mayor McDermott and the mayor’s political machine.”

“This machine is wholly comfortable (too comfortable, in my opinion) within its political position, that it feels it can insult the people of Gary by implying that it is a city full of irresponsible parasites and lawless miscreants.

“Worst of all, a representative of law enforcement was used to deliver this insult, at a time when “citizen-police” relations are at a low-point. Furthermore, the use of a fellow fraternal “brother” to provide this slander is unacceptable and unforgivable.”

Story Posted:02/11/2019