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Fishers council passes anti-loitering ordinance

The new law prohibits hanging out in public parking lots and garages if you cause safety issues or disruptions.

FISHERS, Ind — The Fishers City Council has unanimously passed a new ordinance dealing with loitering.

It prohibits hanging out in public parking lots and garages if you cause safety issues or disruptions.

Violators could be fined $250.

The law was inspired by recent car takeovers that brought traffic and crowds.

An event in Fishers March 10 saw hundreds of car enthusiasts for an impromptu meet-up that police say was shared via social media.

Police said around 300 cars filled the streets from 116th Street to Allisonville Road to just past the Interstate 69 interchange, creating gridlock. Other cars filled many business parking lots.

Credit: Austin Campbell/@campbells_car_life
Austin Campbell shared drone footage with 13News of car enthusiasts meeting up in Fishers, which police are calling a safety concern.

Images of some of the cars were shared on the Fishers Police social media pages. In one video, you can hear a car revving its engine inside a parking garage as others gathered to see.

Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart said speeding, drifting and drag racing are among the concerns for police.

"We've been seeing these trends in and around our community for awhile. These things were all on display that evening," Gebhart said.

Police said it became a safety concern.

"We hold car shows here. They are very peaceful. They happen throughout communities everywhere, and they're not what that was on Sunday a week ago," Gebhart said.

"Nobody should have been in Fishers that day," said one car enthusiast, who wanted to remain anonymous.

The man told 13News car groups initially had permission from a business owner in Castleton to meet at a local golf course, but then, that owner changed his mind. 

"The Thursday before the event, we got calls from IMPD," he said.

Organizers reportedly then got approval from a business in Geist, but the car enthusiast said an hour before they were supposed to meet up, "other business owners did not want us to have a meet up over there."

That left several hundred car enthusiasts and several hundred more spectators without a place to meet and look at cars, many of whom ended up in Fishers.

The man said organizers were going to meet with Fishers and IMPD to help meet both the wants of the car community and residents.

"We are taking the steps to do what's best," he said.

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