Indiana House bill to expand crime task force into Lake County advanced to floor
House Bill 1095 would allow the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force area to include Lake County. Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, authored the bill, which received a unanimous vote on Thursday by the Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.
'The task force would give Lake County the chance to clean up our streets, providing additional resources to connect guns to other crimes throughout the region,' Harris said in a statement following Thursday's vote. 'Statistically speaking, we see a trend in the right direction for gun crimes in Lake County; we just want people to feel those statistics and I believe the expansion of this task force would keep trends flowing in the right direction enough for residents to feel a difference.'
The Lake County Coroner's Office investigated 65 homicides last year, Harris's statement said.
The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly website.
In 2024, the task force investigated more than 150 cases that led to the arrest of 232 people, the seizure of more than 270 illegal firearms and 75,507 grams of illegal narcotics, according to a news release from Harris.
The task force has an executive board that consists of the chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Indiana State Police Superintendent and a sheriff or police chief from each department covered by the group, according to Indiana code.
Current law requires five board members for a quorum during business, but House Bill 1095 would increase the number to seven.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said in a statement that expanding the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force to include Lake County 'is a critical step in addressing the flow of illegal firearms and reducing violent crime in our communities.'
'By broadening the task force's reach, we strengthen our ability to track and prosecute those persons responsible for gun-related offenses. Additionally, the adjustments to the executive boards' quorum and voting procedures will ensure more effective governance and decision-making,' Carter said.
Carter said that he fully supports the bill and urged lawmakers to pass it.
A Thursday news release highlighted Gary, East Chicago and Hammond as areas that would benefit from the expanded task force.
Representatives from East Chicago and Hammond's police departments were unable to provide a statement for this story.
Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said in a statement that he's pleased to see the General Assembly taking these steps. The city's police department has not been contacted about the legislation, Cannon said.
'For years, the Gary Police Department has worked diligently to prevent the circulation of illegal guns within our community,' Cannon said in his statement. 'If this legislation passes, the City of Gary looks forward to fully collaborating with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force.'
Cannon added that the Gary police work with other agencies, including the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.
Gary led Lake County's homicide numbers for 2024, according to information from the coroner's office. Of the county's 65 homicide deaths in 2024, 24 victims died in Gary.
The city's police department said in a Jan. 10 news release that Gary saw 40 homicides in 2024, which is a 23% decline from 52 in 2023. Last year, the city had its lowest number recorded since 2018, according to the news release.
'I believe it's a move in a positive direction,' Cannon previously told the Post-Tribune. 'The citizens make sure that when we receive information, we're being held accountable and making sure that we do something about it. I think this was a record year for the police department in a few categories, and I'm hoping to maintain that momentum going forward in 2025.'
Hammond had 10 homicides in 2024, according to Cpt. Steve Kellogg, but coroner statistics said 13 homicides occurred in the city. East Chicago had four homicides in 2024, according to coroner statistics and Police Chief Jose Rivera.
The Indiana House's next session is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Monday. As of Friday, the general assembly's website did not say when the floor is expected to hear House Bill 1095.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
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