Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee Meeting – May 13, 2026

The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee of the City-County Council met on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building. The committee approved several appointments and appropriations, received the first quarter report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and held extensive presentations and discussions on the Office of Audit and Performance (OAP) audit of the Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) and the Elevation Grant program.

Consent Calendar

• Proposal 129-2026: Reappointment of Fred Pervine to the Emergency Services Agency Board. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 130-2026: Reappointment of Lieutenant Larry Pete Atkins to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 131-2026: Additional appropriation of $1,244,500 to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office budget for the cadet program, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, and security supplies/vehicles. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 132-2026: Additional appropriation of $220,005 to the Marion County Coroner’s Office budget for trauma-informed care, child drowning prevention, and maternal-infant mortality reduction initiatives. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 133-2026: Additional appropriation of $210,000 to the Marion County Public Defender Agency budget for the Interdisciplinary Defense System (IDS) project, funded by the Lilly Endowment. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 134-2026: Additional appropriation of $34,000 to the Marion County Superior Court budget for drug treatment and re-entry courts. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 135-2026: Additional appropriation of $4,830,000 to the IMPD budget for grant cleanup and new grant projects (INDOT work zone patrols and Internet Crimes Against Children task force). Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 136-2026: Transfer of $300,000 within the Forensic Services Agency budget from Character 3 to Character 2 for laboratory supplies. Approved unanimously.
• Proposal 128-2026: Appointment of Jessica Harris to the Marion County Public Defender Board. Moved to end of agenda, then approved unanimously after Harris answered questions about her willingness to learn about board oversight.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shauna Majors (Executive Director, Brightwood Community Center) – Spoke as a former grantee of the Elevation program and former OPHS employee. She expressed support for the audit findings, noting that lack of SOPs was a known issue. She urged OPHS to take the audit seriously, hold grantees accountable, and be consistently present as the lead agency for violence reduction.
• Josette Robinson (former Indianapolis Foundation employee) – Urged continued support for grassroots organizations in the Elevation Grant program and stressed the need for culturally competent capacity building. She expressed concern that the program might shift focus away from grassroots groups.

Discussion Items

Proposal 131 (Sheriff’s Office Appropriation)

• Councillor Boots asked about the source of funds: the federal grant fund supports the MAT program (serving about 150 individuals daily), and the county grant fund is a Drug-Free Community grant. Sheriff’s CFO Calvin Carr stated the program could be tripled with more funding.

Proposal 132 (Coroner’s Office Appropriation)

• Councillor Wells clarified the breakdown of state and local grants. Councillor Boots asked about proactive steps for child drowning prevention; CFO Mallory Malcheski said they will partner with Indy Parks to provide free swimming lessons in high-risk zip codes based on data.

Proposal 133 (Public Defender IDS Project)

• Councillor Graves asked about the number of individuals served; Director Ray Casanova did not have the number but offered to follow up. He described the program as a pilot identifying clients before release from prison to connect them with housing, employment, and services. Councillor Boots noted the funding transition from federal ARP to Lilly Endowment.

Proposal 136 (Forensic Services Transfer)

• Councillor Boots asked about reduced grants; Director Vipperman attributed delays to increased scrutiny and turnover at federal and state grant offices. The transfer will allow purchase of DNA testing supplies, but a supplemental appropriation may be needed in the fall.

Proposal 137 (Sheriff’s Quarterly Report)

• The committee accepted the report without a vote, as required by statute.

OAP Audit of OPHS (Presentation)

• Directors Wesley Jones (OAP) and Andrew Merkley (OPHS) presented the audit findings covering 2019–2025. The audit reviewed 29 vendors representing 92% of general fund expenditures over six years. Key findings included:
  • Finding 1: 51% of contracts lacked sufficient programmatic documentation or failed to meet reporting requirements.
  • Finding 2: 84% of contracts tested had missing, incomplete, or insufficient invoice documentation.
  • Finding 3: No formal procedures to monitor and evaluate program effectiveness.
  • Finding 4: Contracts were awarded to vendors with connections to OPHS employees without disclosure or ethics exceptions.
  • Finding 5: Use of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) as a federal grant recipient for an $800,000 USDA grant, which was not a required fiscal agent.
  • Finding 6: No standard process for vendor compliance review.
  • Finding 7: Inconsistent vendor selection processes.
  • Finding 8: $314,119 in city funds were transferred to GIPC, bypassing city purchasing and auditor review; $8,162.66 was later returned.
• Director Merkley outlined corrective actions already taken or in development, including new SOPs, centralized tracking, ethics training, and quarterly staff training. He noted the audit period overlapped with the pandemic emergency and that efforts to address findings were underway before he became director.
• Councillors expressed frustration with the lack of prior oversight, data on program effectiveness, and conflict-of-interest issues. Councillor Hart noted he had previously proposed requiring ARPA recipients to report back. Councillor Bain questioned why law enforcement was not involved; Director Jones confirmed state-level entities (State Board of Accounts) are investigating. Councillor Mowery called for ownership and accountability. Councillor Robinson suggested OAP proactively audit newer agencies.

Elevation Grant Program (Presentation)

• Director Merkley, Rebecca Nannery (IU Public Policy Institute), and Indianapolis Foundation staff presented evaluation results for six funding rounds of the Elevation Grant (total $40.2 million, 235 grantees). Key data:
  • Grantees were located in crime hotspots; 88% of adults with prior convictions were not rearrested during the funding period.
  • Youth programs reported positive outcomes in employment, skills, and school discipline.
  • Adult outcomes included housing stability (66%), substance use stability (82%), and violent injury treatment (78%).
  • Murders and robberies declined in Marion County over the period, but the trend was not compared to national data.
• The current round (19 grantees, $7 million over two years) uses a logic model and targets youth and young adults. Focus areas include housing, mental health, workforce, and education.
• Councillors asked about attribution of crime reduction vs. other agencies (IMPD, courts). Director Merkley acknowledged the complexity and noted OPHS is contracting with AIR to compare to other cities. Councillor Perkins emphasized the need to celebrate the work of grassroots organizations. Councillor Allen highlighted efforts to build an ecosystem for collaboration.

Key Outcomes

• All proposals (128–136) were approved unanimously by voice vote.
• Proposal 137 (quarterly report) was accepted without a vote.
• The committee received the OAP audit report and will consider its findings during budget deliberations. OAP will conduct a follow-up review in Q3 or Q4 2026 to retest OPHS’s implementation of recommendations.
• The Elevation Grant evaluation was presented; the current round will include enhanced reporting, site visits, and capacity building.
• Councillor Robinson requested that OAP present during budget hearings to discuss the value of additional auditor positions.
• President Lewis requested more detailed data on the clinician-led community response program after being informed that service numbers have decreased despite expansion.
• The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time after public comments.