Gov. Mike Braun and other Indiana Republicans fault Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears for violent crime in Indianapolis. Mears, a Democrat, says state lawmakers share the blame.
The dispute is central to the Nov. 3 race for prosecutor in Indiana’s most populous county. The Indianapolis mayor’s administration says homicides and nonfatal shootings have dropped sharply since 2021. But critics say the office is too lenient on violent offenders.
Mears, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican challenger Philip Foust agree more work is needed to reduce violence. They differ on what the crime statistics show and how to respond.
Mears was chosen as prosecutor in 2019 by local party members after the late Terry Curry resigned for health reasons. He was elected in 2022. Foust is the Speedway clerk-treasurer and a former Marion County deputy prosecutor who worked in the office under Curry and Mears from 2015 to 2021.
“We’re now a town that is a convention town for all the good reasons you’d want to come to Indiana,” Braun said Oct. 28 when he endorsed Foust. He said families no longer feel comfortable visiting Indianapolis. “The police are doing their job. The part that's not being done is the prosecution,” he said.
Braun and Republican state officials say Mears has weak conviction policies, such as offering plea deals and how he charges people with crimes.
Dispute over crime rates
Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration says there’s been a 62% reduction in criminal homicides since 2021. There’s also been a 48% reduction in non-fatal shooting incidents since 2021.
The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police have argued Mears is soft on crime. The FOP held a vote of no confidence in Mears and endorsed Foust.
“Law enforcement officers throughout Indiana see the realities of the revolving door criminal justice system in their capital city which is compounded by a soft on crime prosecutor,” said Rick Snyder, Indy FOP president, in a written statement.
The law enforcement organization continues to cite anecdotal cases to back the claim Mears is at fault with the rise in crime.
An IndyStar analysis examined the prosecution data and changes under Mears leadership from his predecessor Curry. More than 220,000 cases were reviewed over the last decade and found that while plea deals slightly increased under Mears, the reduction in sentencing with a plea deal was negligible.
READ MORE: 2026 Voter Guide: Marion County Prosecutor
Focus on youth violence
Violence involving young people has drawn particular concern.
In May a 14-year-old boy was charged for the murder of Brett Scrogham in a downtown parking garage.
Foust told WFYI in a candidate interview that Marion County youth have gone from joyrides to fatal shootings. Foust said he blames a failure to hold young offenders accountable.
“The juvenile justice system is a complete joke, and we have been teaching them that there are no consequences for their actions, which is a lie because one way or another, ultimately, there are consequences, and oftentimes they’re deadly,” Foust said.
Mears said state lawmakers are partly to blame, pointing to laws that have made guns easier to get.
“It’s never been easier for kids to have access to firearms,” Mears said during a candidate interview with WFYI. “ And this is a direct result of permitless carry and the decision the legislature made to basically decriminalize the possession of handguns.”
In 2022, the former Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law that allows adults to carry a handgun without obtaining a license. At the time law enforcement organizations opposed the legislation and said the permit system helped officers know if someone was allowed to carry a handgun.
Candidate's solutions
Foust has said if he were elected he would aggressively prosecute repeat offenders.
Braun joined Foust at the Marion County Republican Party headquarters this week to endorse the campaign and back Foust’s plan for a Juvenile Crime Task Force proposal. Foust said, if elected, he would be forming it immediately. It would be assigned to find answers to several issues of youth violence including law enforcement partnerships, better advocating for witnesses and victims of juvenile crime and more transparency to the justice system.
Foust said accountability is not cruelty.
“I will push to impose real consequences immediately,” Foust said. “We need stiffer penalties at the start of teens’ criminal careers, if we’re going to give them the best chance to be redirected before their criminal behavior hardens.”
Maggie Hutton with the Mears campaign team said in response to Braun and Foust’s press conference that the governor has never attempted to help the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office on the issue.
“In the absence of the Governor’s leadership, the Prosecutor’s Office has partnered with many community-based organizations like Reach for Youth, Voices, and the Boys & Girls Club, who consistently show up and invest in young people,” Hutton said. “We appreciate those partnerships because they care about Indy’s children, even when it is not election season.”
As Mears seeks his third term in office, he said he wants to continue to use the criminal justice system as an intervention point.
“A lot of individuals that we deal with in the criminal justice system have issues that are related to addiction, to mental health issues, and one of the biggest challenges we face now is people who are unhoused,” Mears told WFYI. “If we address that root cause problem, hopefully we won't see them come back into the criminal justice system again.”
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. You can find more information on races and referendums in the WFYI Voter Guide.
Contact WFYI health reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05
