FIGHTING CRIME IN INDIANA – Straight From The Senate

The General Assembly is currently considering five Senate proposals that work to reduce violent crime in Indiana. These bills are important for all Hoosiers because it isn’t just direct victims who suffer from criminal activity. Families, schools, the economy and the entire community’s quality of life are also harmed.

The five bills are designed to safeguard Hoosier citizens by directing funds to high-crime areas, extending the statute of limitations on rape charges, providing prosecutors stronger sentencing tools, protecting police officers and denying record expungement to repeat violent felons.

Senate Bill 551 would establish a police-enhancement pilot program that would direct $200,000 per year to Allen, Marion and Lake counties for the next two years. This money would be used to put more police on the streets in areas of these counties known to struggle with high crime rates.

Senate Bill 94 modifies the statute of limitations for filing rape charges. Currently in Indiana, the statute of limitations for a charge of rape is five years. This proposal would extend the statute of limitations by an additional five years if there is a confession, or if new DNA evidence is identified in the case.

Click to advertise on this website

Senate Bill 92 would strengthen sentencing for violent felons who unlawfully possess a deadly weapon and for criminals who possess a deadly weapon while dealing with controlled substances. The bill would also add various offenses like resisting law enforcement, child molestation, burglary, robbery and battery to the list of crimes that are eligible for a sentencing enhancement if a deadly weapon is used to commit the crime.

Senate Bill 559 would increase the sentence for a crime by 20 years if a firearm was pointed or discharged at a police officer during the commission of the crime. It is vital that we do all we can to protect the police officers who work every day to keep us safe. Dissuading criminals from harming our brave officers is the goal; however, if stronger sentences won’t deter them, then they will be locked up for longer periods of time, keeping them off our streets.

While some criminals are eligible for record expungement in Indiana, repeat violent offenders shouldn’t receive this benefit. Senate Bill 164 addresses this by denying record expungement to criminals with two or more convictions using a deadly weapon.

As a legislature, our goal is to keep our communities safe, protect our law enforcement officers, and provide prosecutors adequate tools to keep violent offenders off the streets and behind bars.

If you have input or questions about any of these bills designed to reduce violent crime in Indiana, please contact my office by email at Senator.Long@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.