Rep. Ireland's Letter in the IndyStar: If Indianapolis leaders refuse to address crime, the Statehouse must step in

Indianapolis has earned the tragic distinction of surpassing Chicago in violent crime rates. If that fact alone doesn’t prove that local leadership has failed, recent attempted rapes on the Monon Trail should.

As the IndyStar reported, the suspect had a long history of violent offenses, including battering a police officer, strangling someone and breaking and entering. Yet, he faced no meaningful consequences from Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.

This is part of a larger pattern in which our city’s Democrat mayor, City-County Council supermajority and prosecutor have proven themselves unserious about addressing violent crime. Their “reform” agenda has meant weaker enforcement, dangerous plea deals and fewer consequences for repeat offenders. The result is predictable: Indianapolis families live in fear while violent criminals walk free.

We know crime is not inevitable. President Trump proved in Washington, D.C. that even a city long plagued by violence can turn around with serious leadership and accountability. Decay and crime are a choice. And sadly, Indy’s leaders have chosen decline.

We would all prefer local leaders to clean up their own mess. But if they refuse—and here they’ve shown no willingness to change course—then it falls to the Statehouse to step in. Indiana’s capital city is too important to abandon to inept local leadership.‬