How police are sweeping crime guns from Central Indiana streets
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Zionsville Police Chief Michael Spears (left) and IMPD Lt. Jered Hidlebaugh discuss the efforts of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
An Indiana task force focused on getting guns used in crimes off the street is celebrating a busy first quarter of 2025 while preparing to expand its reach.
Why it matters: Central Indiana law enforcement officials credit the establishment of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force for driving violent crime down in Indianapolis and surrounding communities following a post-pandemic surge.
By the numbers: The task force has released its results from the first three months of 2025, noting that 115 illegal firearms and 167 machine gun conversion devices have been seized from Jan. 1 to March 31.
- The group made 75 state arrests and six federal arrests.
- They're on pace to surpass 2024 totals of more than 270 seized firearms, 232 state arrests and 16 federal arrests.
Yes, and: The group is leveraging its resources to put a dent in drug trafficking throughout the region, seizing 544 grams of fentanyl, 32,164 grams of marijuana and 1,814 grams of methamphetamine in Q1.
- "Narcotics and firearms unfortunately go hand in hand," IMPD Lt. Jered Hidlebaugh told Axios. "If somebody rips somebody off, they can't exactly call the police and say 'I got 20 pounds of meth stolen.'"
- "These individuals who are trafficking use these illegal firearms to protect themselves, protect the proceeds of the narcotics they're selling and to protect the narcotics themselves. So it's always a big plus for us when we can pull an illegal firearm off of the street with narcotics at the same time."
Flashback: Established in 2021 — Indianapolis' deadliest year on record — the task force brings local, state and federal agencies together to bolster coordination.
- Marion, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties were initially included. Allen County was added to the mix in 2023.
The latest: The task force will soon establish a presence in Lake County after lawmakers passed and Gov. Mike Braun signed legislation adding the northwest county.
- Rep. Earl Harris, who authored the bill, has expressed a desire to take the task force statewide.
What they're saying: Zionsville Police Chief Michael Spears said he has never seen law enforcement agencies work this closely together in his more than four decades of experience.
- He said coordination is needed to combat criminals who are becoming more sophisticated in their efforts to avoid detection, and to address the fact that no community is immune to violent crime.
- "Criminals don't respect jurisdictional boundaries. They don't even know what they are," said Spears, who served as IMPD chief from 2005 to 2010. "It wasn't good enough in the past to say, 'That's a problem for that town or that city.' Because we can be next."
What we're watching: How the task force counters a nationwide rise in crimes committed using "ghost guns" — weapons manufactured at home from a kit purchased online.
- According to the ATF, these guns typically are not registered and do not have serial numbers, making them effectively untraceable.
- 3D printing is playing a role in the rise of these weapons, and Hidlebaugh said many of the seized machine gun conversion devices were 3D-printed locally.