INDIANAPOLIS — Firearms – from handguns to semi-automatic rifles – were found in the possession of teenagers last year.
"What we saw differently in 2023 than we did in 2022 is youth were presenting for handgun offenses. So it would be for possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm," said Christine Kerl, chief probation officer with the Marion County Probation Department.
According to Kerl, in 2023, 726 young people were sent to juvenile detention. In 2022, that number was just below 600.
"What normally would have been a fistfight are now with guns because everyone has them. So, this is pure speculation, but I think it's logical to think that the more guns you have, the more access you have," said Martine Romy Bernard-Tucker, director of Marion County's Office of Public Health and Safety.
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Kerl said before a kid goes into juvenile detention, officers do an intake that looks at things like their age, how many times they've been referred to the detention center and what they think about being in trouble.
"And some of it goes into what was the presenting issue that got you here. Was it a handgun charge? Was it a battery? Was it a truancy? Whatever that may be, and that information in total, we take and then we make a recommendation on the information we received," Kerl said.
Kerl said in 2023, the amount of youth who entered the detention center was up 33% compared to 2022. Many of them, she said, were between the ages of 15 and 17 and stayed about 22 days.
"Alternatives to detention is paramount, but at the same time, we do understand and value the importance of detention and is important for some youth. And are the right youth going in the door for the right reasons," Kerl said.
Bernard-Tucker said crime among young people can be prevented if provided with the right resources.
"Really making sure the youth are fed, that they have housing, that they have mental health support, that if they're coming out of juvenile detention, that they have help. All of that is important, and all of that, whenever something is missing there, it's likely to create violence," Bernard-Tucker said.