According to the Marion County Probation Department, 726 young people were sent to juvenile detention. In 2022, that number was just below 600.
INDIANAPOLIS — Firearms – from handguns to semi-automatic rifles – were found in the possession of teenagers last year.
“What we saw differently in 2023 than we did in 2022 is youth were presenting for handgun offenses. So it would be for possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm,” said Christine Kerl, Chief Probation Officer with the Marion County Probation Department.
According to Kerl, in 2023, 726 young people were sent to juvenile detention. In 2022, that number was just below 600.
“What normally would have been a fistfight are now with guns because everyone has them. So, this is pure speculation, but I think it’s logical to think that the more guns you have, the more access you have,” said Martine Romy Bernard-Tucker, director of Marion County’s Office of Public Health and Safety.