The head of the Indianapolis police union is calling for Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and state legislators to “step in” to address violence in Indianapolis after nearly a dozen people were killed during the first two weekends of July.
The statement from Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, comes as city officials consider an earlier youth curfew to deter late-night violence like the July 5 mass shooting downtown that killed two teens and injured five other people.
Those victims were among 30 people shot and five killed from Friday to Sunday over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Violence continued into this past weekend, with at least six people killed from July 11-14, according to IndyStar’s homicide tracker.
Snyder called the proposed youth curfew that would be two hours earlier a “shallow and shortsighted approach.”
“It is apparent Indianapolis leaders are stuck in the very corner they constructed with misguided policies and agendas — as now we see nothing but paralysis by politics,” Snyder said in his July 14 statement. “It’s time for the Indiana Legislature and Governor to step in. Call us, we have solutions.”
Snyder did not immediately respond to IndyStar’s follow-up request to learn more about the specific policies he would propose to state leaders.
In his statement Snyder also cast doubt on Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, saying he’s “more focused on what crimes he won’t prosecute.”
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office rejected that characterization, saying that Mears’ office typically files more than 18,000 criminal cases a year and prosecutes 20-25% of cases that reach trial in Indiana annually.
Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, the top lawmaker in the Indiana State Senate, called the recent spate of violence “horrific” and said he is “extremely frustrated” with the perceived leniency of the Marion County prosecutor.
The Martinsville Republican said he’s open to conversations with Snyder and law enforcement leaders about how state leaders could help to reduce violence. But he noted that local elected officials like Mears have jurisdiction over the county’s charging decisions, so he’s unsure how the state could intervene.
“We want to be helpful, and so I’m looking forward to some of those conversations,” Bray said. “But again, some of those responsibilities fall on elected officials, who are specifically tasked or given those jobs, that maybe haven’t done them like I would have done them so far.”
Braun did not immediately return a request for comment on Snyder’s statement Monday.
2025 seeing fewer killings than past years across Indianapolis
Despite the recent high-profile incidents of violence, an IndyStar analysis found that significantly fewer killings occurred in Indianapolis in the first six months of 2025 than during the same timeframe in previous years. City leaders have reiterated that downtown is Indianapolis’ safest neighborhood.
Criminal homicides are down 27% year-to-date while downtown crime is 6% lower than it was at this point last year, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department data shared with IndyStar.
Responding to Snyder’s criticism Monday, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the curfew will be just one element of the city’s strategy to curb violence as the summer unfolds. Through its Office of Public Health and Safety, the city continues to fund violence-reduction programs where local organizations engage with high-risk young people.
The earlier curfew would mean children aged 15-17 could not be out past 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 9 p.m. every other day, while younger children would face a 9 p.m. curfew every day. Indianapolis City-County Council members are also discussing the possibility of fines and mandatory parenting classes for parents and guardians whose children repeatedly violate the new rules.
“We’re going to do everything we can to keep the peace,” Hogsett said at a Monday event when asked about Snyder’s statement. “I would encourage everyone to come downtown if they want to come downtown. Just don’t bring a gun with you. That’s one way to be peaceful.”
Snyder also criticized city officials of “begging” for peace instead of more concrete solutions, a possible reference to a video posted by IMPD Chief Chris Bailey ahead of the weekend in which he pleaded with everyone to stop the violence.
At a July 14 press conference, Bailey defended his statements but didn’t address Snyder’s larger push for state intervention.
“I’m going to continue to talk to our community directly … That’s not going to stop,” Bailey said. “(I’m) appealing directly to the people that control their actions, as they’re the ones who make the decision to pull the trigger on the gun.”
IndyStar reporters Jade Jackson and Kayla Dwyer contributed reporting.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Email IndyStar Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘Step in’: Indy police union leader wants Braun, state leaders to intervene in city’s crime-fighting
Reporting by Jordan Smith, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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