Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed a bill co-authored by State Rep. Ryan Lauer (R-Columbus) supporting law enforcement and boosting accountability and transparency in policing.
To ensure only the best officers are hired, Lauer said House Enrolled Act 1006 requires police agencies to request an officer candidate’s full employment records from their previous department. He said this will help departments better vet prospective candidates and identify bad actors.
The law also invests $70 million to improve training programs and facility upgrades at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, which has not been updated since the 1970s. Departments could apply for new state grants to purchase body-worn cameras for officers, once the new state budget proposal is signed into law.
“This new law supports our police officers who risk their lives every day to protect their communities,” Lauer said. “Stakeholders across the state came together to create a strong, bipartisan bill that invests in law enforcement, and provides them the tools and resources they need to better serve all Hoosiers.”
Lauer said the law also requires all new recruits and current officers to participate in de-escalation training and provides additional flexibility to the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board in order to address significant officer misconduct.
House Enrolled Act 1006 was unanimously supported by state lawmakers. The new law was also backed by the Indiana State Police, Indiana State Police Alliance, Indiana Fraternal Order of Police, Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and the Public Defender Commission.
