The calls for change didn’t fall on deaf ears.
Following the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, countless communities across the country reevaluated their local police accountability and training policies.
What many found was that the laws in place weren’t good enough, and that something needed to be done at the local, state, and/or federal levels to address the issues.
Thousands marched and spoke out on the subject, including in Columbus, in hopes of creating positive change.
Those efforts weren’t all for naught.
At the start of this year’s legislative session, a bipartisan law enforcement reform bill was presented by Indiana Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Danville. The bill was co-authored by his fellow Republican Reps. Wendy McNamara and Steve Bartels as well as Democrat Rep. Robin Shackleford
Among the items in House Bill 1006, it addresses banning the use of choke holds in certain circumstances, penalizing officers for turning off body/vehicle cameras if they attempt to commit or conceal a criminal act, and gives the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board easier means of decertifying bad-acting officers.
But it wasn’t just lawmakers who unanimously supported the legislation.
The bill received support from a number of minority groups, such as the NAACP and the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, as well as law enforcement agencies such as the Indiana State Police Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and the Indiana Sheriff’s Association.
This past January, The Republic published an editorial supporting the bill. Now, we’re happy to report that the proposal has now become law.
On Thursday, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law, a moment which he dubbed "historic."
It’s encouraging to see Democrats and Republicans working together for the common good, and to see Indiana leading the way on a complicated issue such as police reform.
The law will not solve all issues, but it’s a step in the right direction.
