Sheriff’s office reaches deal with cities, towns in Marion County on police staffing
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Monday announced it has reached an agreement with the towns and cities in the county regarding jail transportation and hospital detention services.
The sheriff’s office was set to stop providing the services to Southport, Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway and Cumberland on Saturday, the start of 2022.
Under the new agreement, the sheriff’s office will secure anyone arrested for a violent crime who is then admitted to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital and continue to provide 24-hour transportation for anyone arrested by an on-duty officer for a violent crime in the excluded cities and towns.
Tom Vaughn, chief of the Southport Police Department, told News 8 on Monday, “It was a great collaboration between everybody and I’m real happy to see that. That says a lot about where we’re all at and what we’re striving to accomplish. I think it says everybody’s coming to this table, and we want to fix the issues and make it a safe environment for all of our communities.”
“It is well past the time to set aside any disagreements and focus on the higher purpose we all serve; protecting the people of our county, no matter where they live,” Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal said in a news release announcing the agreement. “I’m grateful to the elected leaders and police chiefs of these communities for collaboratively charting a path forward that both acknowledges our respective challenges and prioritizes the lives and livelihoods of our citizens.”
A meeting will be held in six months to reevaluate the agreement, according to the sheriff’s office.
