MCPO, IMPD exploring neglect charges for parents amid juvenile violence

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said it’s working with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to potentially seek stricter enforcement of neglect charges for parents of juvenile offenders.

An Independence Day weekend mass shooting in Indianapolis stirred conversation over the impact prosecutions against parents could have on youth violence after IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said hundreds of teenagers were roaming downtown, unsupervised, ahead of two minors being killed. 

“The conversations have been ongoing for some time, but certainly have ramped up in recent weeks,” Michael Leffler with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office told News 8 in an email. “These conversations have largely centered around what law enforcement needs to look for during its investigations in order to meet the necessary legal standards.”

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett spoke in favor of strengthening curfew enforcement, while police promised to increase their presence downtown.

The Indianapolis City-County Council is considering whether to extend curfew hours, but officials admitted the Youth Services Center, used to hold juveniles, doesn’t have the capacity to handle a mass curfew enforcement. 

When News 8’s reporting partner WIBC asked Bailey about holding parents accountable for the actions of juvenile children, Bailey said, “I think it’s going to be difficult.” 

“We’re going to try identifying cases, or a case, that we could, at a minimum, do a test-run on,” Bailey said on the July 7 broadcast of The Hammer and Nigel Show. 

Successfully enforcing those charges would take evidence showing a pattern of neglect, according to Bailey. As News 8 reported, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said charges could be filed against parents who knew, or reasonably should have known, their child was downtown with a gun.

When a woman was charged with neglect in a situation involving a juvenile found with a gun, News 8 asked IMPD whether it was one of the “test cases” alluded to by Chief Bailey. The department said, “this is not a new initiative” in an emailed response. 

“When investigating juvenile crimes, officers and detectives, working closely with our prosecutorial partners, evaluate case evidence to determine whether an arrest and subsequent criminal charges are appropriate,” said an IMPD spokesperson in an email to News 8. “The most recent arrest reaffirms IMPD’s continued commitment to ensuring caregivers, parents, and guardians are certain that they can be held accountable for their actions that contribute to a young person’s criminal behavior.”

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said it would be up to police to decide which cases to target.

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