Legislators hear police concerns at forum

GARY — Ahead of the 2023 Indiana Legislative session, police from Lake County had the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Officers from more than 10 local departments joined State Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster) and State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg), chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Public Safety committees, Thursday at the Sage-Popovich Hangar at the Gary Chicago Airport to discuss pressing public safety issues in Lake County, and how legislators can help.

Departments represented were: Munster, Merrillville, St. John, Cedar Lake, Schererville, Chesterton, Hobart, Highland, Hammond, Griffith and Gary.

In the 2022 legislative session, Frye sponsored House Bills 1004 and 1314, which updated requirements for placement in community corrections programs and improving multiple components of public safety, respectively.

Andrade and Frye sponsored Senate Bills 0158 and 0294, supplying basic training requirements for public safety telecommunications professionals and requiring changes to members of the law enforcement training board, including best policies and training programs, respectively.  

Lake County has seen an increase in homicides, vehicular pursuits, carjackings and robberies in 2022, according to Andrade.

Compared to this time last year, there has been a 42% increase in homicides, 16% increase in vehicular pursuits, an 11% increase in carjackings and a 10% increase in robberies, according to data from Spillman crime logs shared by St. John Police Chief Steve Flores.

Auto thefts have decreased slightly, data shows, but still make up a large portion of crime in Lake County.

Gary police Chief Brian Evans said his department is seeing an increase in the number of juveniles who commit crimes. Juveniles are often released to their parents after their involvement in a crime. He said it is a public safety issue when juveniles aren't given consequences.

“Letting them back out over and over again encourages them to keep doing it,” Evans said.

Flores said he believes the increase is due to an issue of risk vs. reward for juvenile offenders. Without the high risk of a consequence, he said, there is nothing stopping them from committing the same crimes again.

"Juveniles who commit felonies or are repeat offenders should not be released to their parents immediately," Flores said. "Our courts, our juvenile systems, need to do a better job at holding on to these kids."

A large percentage of offenders, Flores and Evans said, come from Illinois. When legislators asked what could be done to combat crime in Lake County, Evans jokingly said, "build a wall between Indiana and Illinois."

Flores said legislators can help by re-examining the issue of bonds for arrested individuals. 

"We spend all this time trying to catch these people," Flores said. "As soon as we put them in jail, they're being let out. It's very frustrating for us."

The 2023 Indiana Legislative Session will begin Jan. 9.