Republican councilors call for parental fines, more police authority after youth shooting

Republican members of the Indianapolis City-County Council are pushing a new set of proposals aimed at curbing youth violence and improving staffing shortages across city agencies.

At a press conference Wednesday, District 20 Councilor Michael-Paul Hart said the city must take stronger action in the wake of a high-profile mass shooting involving minors in downtown Indianapolis last month. The July 5 shooting, which killed two teens and injured five others, prompted the city to move up its youth curfew and establish a new processing site for minors found out past curfew.

“This is our opportunity to say, hey, let's keep it Indianapolis, but we've got to change something,” Hart said.

The public safety package includes three key proposals:

• One would lift residency requirements for some city employees. Republican councilors say allowing workers to live outside Marion County could help fill staffing shortages throughout city agencies. 
• Another would increase fines for parents whose children repeatedly violate the city’s curfew. Parents would face a $500 fine for a second offense and $1,500 for each additional violation.
• A third proposal would give the Indianapolis police chief full authority over department policies. That power currently rests with the General Orders Board — a civilian-majority oversight group — which would shift to an advisory role under the plan.

Because Republicans introduced the proposals, they would need bipartisan support. Democrats currently hold a supermajority on the 25-member council, controlling 19 seats, while Republicans only have six.

When asked if there is anticipated support from Democrats, Hart said he’s had preliminary conversations.

“We introduced these on Friday, and we’re unveiling them to the public today,” he said. “I know other Democrat councilors are certainly interested in the parental accountability pieces. These other things are going to be new for the councilors after today.”

The City-County Council is expected to unveil its proposed budget next week. Hart said the budget likely won’t affect the public safety proposals, which are expected to be debated in the coming weeks.

Farrah Anderson is an investigative health reporter with WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. You can follow her on X at @farrahsoa or by email at fanderson@wfyi.org.