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Law Enforcement Leaders Defend Profession At Indianapolis Forum

Justin Hicks
/
IPB News

Indiana law enforcement leaders defended their profession and the justice system at a forum on race and law enforcement held in Indianapolis Tuesday.

The forum was organized by several community organizations, including the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association and the Indianapolis Recorder.

It featured a panel of Hoosier law enforcement leaders, including Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez. He said connecting with the community is key.

“Not going to the community when it’s election time," Martinez said. "That’s not going to work; they’re not going to buy that. It’s being there all the time.”

READ MORE: What’s Driving This Moment In Indiana: Protest Organizers Discuss Demands For Change

Indiana Fraternal Order of Police President Bill Owensby said “false narratives” about police, created by celebrities and social activists, are at the heart of the problem. He insisted the most important thing people can do in police encounters is simply comply.

“There’s this misnomer that the police profession is broken. It isn’t," Owensby said. "It’s a very proud profession … and we take pride in how we protect the citizens of our communities.”

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter pointed to the roots of racism still pervasive in society.

“I think that’s the problem with policing today – many of these officers do not understand African Americans, particularly African American women,” Carter said.

The panel did not feature anyone from community-based organizations.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.