A SYMBOL OF CHANGE

To widen horizon, neighbors take a narrow alley from drug dealers

As far as parks go, it isn't much to look at: a long, narrow rectangle of
land squeezed between two businesses, with a few trees, a handful of
plantings and a small wooden plaque.

But the neighbors around the memorial garden in the 1600 block of East
Washington Street were beaming Thursday, describing the tiny park as a
massive symbol.

"It signifies that when we work together, we can turn the tide and get
something done. This is our neighborhood. It's not the crack dealers'
neighborhood," said the Rev. Jay Height, executive director of Shepherd
Community Ministries and president of the Old National Road Business
Association.

That coalition of local companies and groups is dedicated to uplifting the
area and pushed for the transformation of an alley known for drug dealing
into a garden of blooming flowers.

"I live here, I work here, I worship here. I want it to be a place where my
kids can be safe," Height added.

The alley was no place for kids to play until recently, Height and others
said Thursday at the park's dedication. For years, crack dealers worked the
nearby pay phones, inviting customers to meet them in the alley between a
gas station and a fast-food restaurant.

"It had better drive-through service than the McDonald's," recalled Sgt.
David Young, an Indianapolis Police Department officer and president of the
nearby Fraternal Order of Police lodge.

Now the alley is gone, replaced by topsoil, 20 newly planted pear trees,
flowers, shrubbery and thickly laid mulch in a simple arrangement. Thanks
to corporate donations, the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful group put the park
together for about $900, an official said. No public money was involved.

SIDEBAR: Park dedication [Two color map of Willard Park area with garden
highlighted]

Small alley is replaced with trees, flowers and shrubbery in honor of IPD
Patrolman Matt J. Faber, who was killed in the line of duty 10 years ago.

"I live here, I work here, I worship here. I want it to be a place where my
kids can be safe." --The Rev. Jay Height

Though the park is low-key, the dedication Thursday morning nonetheless
attracted the attention of top politicians, including former Vice President
Dan Quayle, Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Marion County Prosecutor Scott
Newman. They joined in dedicating the park for the good of the community and
in honor of IPD Patrolman Matt J. Faber, who was killed in the line of duty
10 years ago. Newman said the alley has been "a major thoroughfare for
criminal activity and drug dealing." The illicit commerce really irked local
business people, not to mention the members of the local FOP just about a
block away and Shepherd Community Church across the street. They joined
others in the Old National Road group, along with the city's Front Porch
Alliance, to cut through the red tape necessary to close the alley. It took
approval from 53 government agencies, utilities, local businesses and area
residents to do that, said Kate Healey, spokesman for the mayor's office.
Young, the FOP president, said the alley cleanup and dedication give "acting
officers a stake in their community ... It means alot to the police officers
and the FOP and the community." A plaque at the site honors Faber, a young
IPD patrolman who was fatally wounded during a confrontation with a
homeowner he was trying to arrest. Among those attending the dedication were
Faber's widow, Jan, and the slain officer's mother. Faber was fatally
wounded on Aug. 14, 1988, after he investigated a complaint about a dog in
an Eastside neighborhood. The dog owner, Fred C. Sanders, later pleaded
guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a seven-year prison
sentence. But he also sued the Police Department and won, claiming officers
used excessive force when they arrested him after the shooting. A federal
court jury awarded him $1.5 million, although the judge later decreased the
amount to $78,000 and the city eventually settled the case by paying Sanders
$150,000. Sanders could not be reached Thursday for comment. "Faber took
police action and lost his life. For that, we consider him a hero killed in
the line of duty," Young explained. "We see absolutely no controversy
involved in dedicating a park to him."

Checked-by: Don Beck