LATEST: A spokesperson for Marion County’s Center Township Constable Denise Paul Hatch on Monday told News 8’s Garrett Bergquist that she’s reinstated 22 deputy constables. Eighteen others were awaiting the results of background checks.

Lt. Leonard Cummings, the spokesperson, texted: “All ILEA-certified (Indiana Law Enforcement Academy-certified) and cleared deputies have been reinstated (including myself) and all other deputies who have cleared backgrounds, via triple I (Interstate Identification Index) check, will be reinstated. This process has cleared and removed any individuals who were not qualified to have law enforcement powers or possess a firearm.

“Effective immediately, the deputies who have submitted to the triple I background checks are now reinstated with full police powers. The Deputies who do not complete the requested background check by February 28 will no longer have the opportunity to return to CTCO (Center Township Constable’s Office) as a deputy constable.”

This story was updated on Feb. 26, 2024. Below is the original coverage from Feb. 23, 2024.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Marion County’s Center Township Constable Denise Paul Hatch on Friday fired all of her deputies pending the results of comprehensive federal background checks.

The move comes two days after one of her deputies was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm. It was the second such arrest in less than five months.

Hatch herself faces criminal charges, too: two felonies of official misconduct; a felony of attempted assisting a criminal; and misdemeanors of theft, and attempting resisting law enforcement. Her initial hearing in court is set for Thursday. In one instance, court documents say, she tried to exchange rotten produce for fresh at a local grocery.

The constable said Friday that she fired the deputies “to gain the public’s trust because when I was arrested for the broccoli. There were a lot of assumptions that were made that we weren’t handling things right.”

Hatch’s office told News 8 the move affected all 40 of the deputies employed by her office, including those certified by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

Hatch’s office said the fired deputies have until Feb. 28 to finish background checks through the federal Interstate Identification Index. The deputies will have the chance to be rehired if they pass those checks.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Hatch said she had begun checks of all of her employees last month.

Constables from the other eight townships in Marion County continue to serve papers in Center Township under an October special order from Judge Brenda Roper of Center Township Small Claims Court. In that order, Roper ruled Hatch could no longer perform her duties after what the judge called a “refusal” to complete her duties.

“Judge Roper has decided as an elected official that she would strip me of my responsibilities as another elected official,” Hatch said. “Voter suppression at its finest.”

A previous version of this story reported that Hatch’s office originally told News 8 that 46 deputies were terminated, and she has since clarified the number to be 40.

Previous coverage

• Center Township deputy constable arrested for being felon with a firearm
• Marion County’s Center Township constable charged with 5 crimes
• Center Twp Constable: ‘IMPD officer tried to kill me’; IMPD has a different view of the incident
• Marion County’s Center Township constable accused of contempt of court
• Deputies rebuff constable’s attempt to arrest Marion County township employees
• Center Township constable says officer impersonation arrest led to court confrontation