INDIANAPOLIS–Members of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police are considering “no confidence” votes on the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and on the Marion County judicial system.
They have been taking votes on the matter this week. Results are expected Monday.
“It’s no secret that we’ve been taking substantial steps to bring attention to the issue of the revolving door of criminal justice in Indianapolis, specifically for repeat offenders,” said Rick Snyder, president of the Indy FOP, in an interview with 93 WIBC’s The Gun Guy on “Tony Katz Today.”
Snyder says the recent shooting and killing of Elwood police officer Noah Shahnavaz in July was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” for the officers in the union. Snyder says prosecutors and judges consistently lower bonds for repeat offenders, who he says then go out and commit more crimes.
“Our members have said ‘We’re done and we are directing you as the President of the FOP to convene confidence votes on the Marion County Prosecutor and the court system.’ I think law enforcement and the public feel we have been a part of a failed social experiment. I mean if you’re a police officer saying that they don’t have confidence in the court system, it begs the question, ‘why should you?,” said Snyder.
Snyder says mayors from communities outside of Indianapolis would like to see someone other than Democrat Ryan Mears be the Marion County Prosecutor. The Indy FOP has already endorsed Republican candidate Cyndi Carrasco for Marion County prosecutor. The Lawrence Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 159 has also endorsed Carrasco for Marion County prosecutor.
Rebecca Geyer, the president-elect of the Indianapolis Bar Association, said the following to our newsgathering partners at WISH-TV.
My name is Rebecca Geyer, and I am President-Elect of the Indianapolis Bar Association. I know you reached out to Julie Armstrong yesterday for a statement from IndyBar regarding the FOP’s vote of no confidence in the Marion County Prosecutor and the Marion County Courts. Julie asked that I reach out to you. The Indianapolis Bar Association believes that a dialogue to address problems between our police force, the judiciary, and the Marion County Prosecutor, rather than votes of no confidence, will go much further in addressing the needs of our community. A vote of no confidence isn’t a solution and does not lead to progress in addressing the issues at hand. We are hopeful the parties can engage in meaningful discourse in the near future to analyze the root causes of the tragic death of Officer Noah Shahnavaz and attacks on other public safety officers in our community.
LISTEN: Full interview with Rick Snyder
