1/29/2025

“Tonight, Governor Mike Braun provided a pragmatic, common sense vision for our State and the challenges we face.

We applaud his public recognition of SB324 authored by Senator Aaron Freeman which enhances penalties for Fentanyl dealers, strengthens the consequences for those who target law enforcement officers, and adds mandatory minimum bail for repeat violent offenders.

This is a cornerstone of Governor Braun’s Freedom and Opportunity — Public Safety Agenda.

We thank him for his commitment to Closing the Revolving Door of Criminal Justice and look forward to seeing him sign it into law.

With Governor Braun’s leadership and his administration’s partnership with the Legislature, they can turn Indiana’s challenges into opportunities for all Hoosiers.”

-Rick Snyder, President 

January 24, 2025

Today, our Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police stands before you to share the perspective of local police officers regarding the specified roles within the enforcement of immigration laws as it relates to our Capital city and the central Indiana region.

We also want to clarify the proper roles and responsibilities of our IMPD and surrounding local police agency officers.

It is well known that illegal entry into our country has impacted communities near and far.

It is also well documented (especially within Indiana) the impact and deadly consequences of narcotics and human trafficking that has resulted.

Fentanyl has swept across our neighborhoods and is often traced to illegal foreign drug smuggling operations, criminal gang activity, and has fueled overdose mortality rates, narcotics induced delirium, and narcotics induced psychosis within our neighborhoods and homes. 

All of which often falls at the feet of our local police officers as they risk their lives to combat crime, violence, sex trafficking, child exploitation, and narcotics dealing causing death.

In Indianapolis alone we have seen annual fatal overdoses at rates as high as 800 deaths per year with 80% of those fatalities caused by Fentanyl.

Unfortunately, we are not the only major city in the U.S. to bear the consequences of failed immigration enforcement especially in recent years.

These implications and outcomes have also spilled out to surrounding communities and our law enforcement partners attest to this on a regular basis. 

Therefore, our local officers know well the need for border security and immigration enforcement.

However, we must also realize and confront the facts that the vast majority of our record levels of violence in Indianapolis (where we have had five consecutive years of record levels of homicides, nonfatal shootings and stabbings) THE VAST MAJORITY have occurred as the result of our legal residents and U.S. citizens.

Nevertheless, failed Immigration policies, revolving door criminal justice practices, rogue prosecutors and judges, and the politicization of our legal proceedings have now resulted in the rightful demands of our communities to enforce the immigration laws of our country.

Yet we must be clear: the enforcement of such FEDERAL Laws does NOT involve local and state police officers.

The role of our local and state officers is to enforce state criminal laws.

The enforcement of FEDERAL laws is to be done by Federal law enforcement officers.

Thus, it is imperative that we publicly make clear to our residents and to our local and state elected officials that our Indianapolis and Central Indiana Officers do have strong concerns about illegal entry into our country especially as it relates to violent criminals, known terrorists, as well as drugs and human trafficking that are ravaging our communities. 

However, enforcement of federal laws must be enforced by federal officers, federal agents and federal courts NOT local or state police officers or state courts. 

So as steps are taken by federal authorities, clear constitutional delineations must be maintained.

This is why we are publicly bringing awareness to these issues as assertive enforcement and deportation processes begin with the new executive administration at the federal level including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

It is also timely due to the pending introduced legislation within this session of the Indiana General Assembly. 

Specifically, we are referring to HB1393 Immigration Notice and SB172 Failure to Assist in Immigration Enforcement.

In the Introduced version of HB1393 it would require local street patrol officers to make notifications to ICE after any arrest is made for unrelated state criminal charges.

This directive is NOT only infeasible, but it is also NOT the appropriate course or manner to ensure proper chains of notification and information sharing.

Past and current practice places the burden of notification and detainment on the County Jails and Detention Facilities, much like other notification processes for probation and parole.

We are aware that this Bill passed out of committee yesterday, but was AMENDED as proposed by Rep. Mitch Gore (from Indianapolis), and shifted the burden back to the Jails/Detention Facilities.

We believe more clarifications are possibly needed and call on State Legislators to work with our Indiana State FOP legislative committee members for additional process considerations.

As it relates to SB172 in its original Draft language it would CRIMINALIZE local officers for NOT cooperating with Immigration Enforcement.

We will NOT standby and allow our local police officers who are fulfilling their responsibilities in good faith to now become the Criminals in this process.

This proposal is short sighted and misses the mark on the appropriate manner and enforcement of FEDERAL laws. 

Therefore, we call upon our Indiana State Representatives and Senators to slow their deliberative process, seek input from local and state law enforcement leaders (including the Fraternal Order of Police) and GET THIS RIGHT.

We also call upon Governor Mike Braun to do the same.

In fact, we have shared our concerns with legislative leaders and Marion County legislators, as well as staff for the Governor and trust they understand our concerns and will work with us to address them. 

In the interim, we also want to make other CLARIFICATIONS on Immigration Enforcement.

[To Members of the Media Do NOT leave this part out of your reporting]

We must get Back to Basics to support and encourage LAWFUL Immigration …

First Secure the Border

Then the Focus should rightfully be on:

•Public safety threats

•National Security threats

•Known Fugitives who have illegally entered, received due process, and have already been ordered removed by a Federal Immigration Judge but did NOT leave.

*We also concur with prioritizing and finding the 300,000+ unattended children who were released into the country by the federal government and who the federal government now cannot find.

This obviously raises child trafficking concerns and should be paramount in FEDERAL Immigration Enforcement and Child Safety and Wellness. (This past governmental deliberate indifference and the victimization of migrant children may be one of the greatest National tragedies of our times).

Therefore, the focus and burden should be on the Jails and Detention Facilities post arrest for local and state crimes.

We understand that More access to the Jails will result in less Agents in the community and mitigate the chance for “collateral” arrests of Non-Violent Offenders.

We are in no way advocating to harbor or conceal a criminal illegal alien from ICE or impede the lawful work of federal agents.

We have also communicated with IMPD Chief of Police Chris Bailey to ensure information sharing in accordance with existing state and federal laws will continue as proscribed. 

We just want to ensure clear delineation on the roles between Federal Agents and Local Police as we move forward.

-Rick Snyder, President Indianapolis FOP 

“Our collective organization is deeply disturbed by recent revelations within the criminal charges brought against members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for sexual abuse of children.

We are sickened by the details contained within these criminal allegations.

We fully support the swift actions of IMPD Police Chief, Chris Bailey, to promptly investigate these matters, immediately suspend the police powers of those involved, and initiate the process of separating these employees from the agency.

While the FOP will have no role in the defense of these officers, we are mindful of the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty. 

As due process continues, we encourage full accountability for any such behavior.

Tragically we are reminded that no profession is immune from such predatory possibilities.

However, the law enforcement profession requires the trust and confidence of those we serve (and work alongside).

Nevertheless, the shock of these matters is felt by all our policing professionals. 

Ensuring daylight within the darkness of such alleged deeds, helps to restore that which has been tarnished.

We pray for the strength and healing of the victims.”

"Our Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police learned today (1/24/2024) of the decision by the Marion Prosecutor Ryan Mears to dismiss the request for the death penalty filed on the defendant in the Murder of IMPD Officer Breann Leath.

This step is obviously a disappointment for our members while awaiting Justice to be served nearly (4) four years since the murder of Officer Leath.

We look forward to better understanding the basis for this decision. 

While frustrating, we remain focused on supporting the Leath family and have confirmed their understanding of the process and next steps.

We also collectively remain focused on the Prosecutor pursuing accountability for the remaining Murder and related charges to the fullest extent of the law.

We welcome the opening of the trial as scheduled next month."

With regards to threats against officers, several media outlets have reported on the situation. 

Fox59

WRTV6

WIBC

Law Enforcement Today

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