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State Senator Pushing for Gun Crime Penalties

State Senator Jim Merritt says he’s going to push for legislation next session that would dramatically increase penalty enhancements for criminals that use a gun. Merritt says it’s a response to what he calls a “crisis” in Indiana’s urban areas.

Over the weekend, two police officers – one in Indianapolis and one in Gary – were shot and killed.  Seven bystanders were also injured in a shootout in an Indianapolis neighborhood.

Indianapolis  Republican Jim Merritt says the time is ripe to send a message to criminals who use guns. Last session,  Merritt co-authored a bill that allows prosecutors and judges to add anywhere from five to 20 years  to a sentence if a gun was used in a kidnapping, to illegally restrain someone, or if the crime resulted  in death or serious injury.

Merritt says next session, he’ll promote a bill that creates a mandatory  enhancement.

“If you have a gun and you’re brandishing it" says Meritt, "you don’t even need to fire it – you’ll be eligible for a 20- year enhancement, if you’re convicted of the crime.” 

Brookville Republican Representative Jud McMillin sponsored last session’s gun crime enhancement bill  and is one of the architects of the state’s criminal code overhaul. He says the legislature can’t only focus  on punishing crimes after the fact.

“It’s not as simple as just throwing the book at somebody after it happens" says McMillin. "And even if it is, you’re still  handling it after it happens...and we want to prevent these things from happening in the first place.” 

McMillin says lawmakers need to focus on helping treat mental health issues and addition, which he  says are often at the root of these crimes. 

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.