As the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor, I ask that all citizens reach out to the law
enforcement immediately if they suspect illegal activity.
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office is committed to collaborating with
law enforcement to fight for victims, find and convict criminals, and bring cases to court
which result in strong convictions and are upheld on appeal. Because of this goal,
groups or individuals who take it upon themselves to undertake law enforcement
functions in Vanderburgh County cannot be condoned by the Office of the Prosecutor
for many legal and safety reasons.
First, actions by private, untrained—and sometimes armed—individuals who
confront others pose a serious risk to the community, and themselves, and can undermine
legitimate investigations and cases to which they are not privy.
Secondly, the evidence untrained individuals think they are collecting can
sometimes be legally problematic and inadmissible for use in bringing charges or taking
a case to trial. This series of events is supremely frustrating for law enforcement and
prosecution who spend years of certification and ongoing training on best practices to
find and keep illegal activity out of our communities and gain convictions which are
upheld on appeal.
Law enforcement in Vanderburgh County collaborates with each other to fight
crime. There are local, state, and federal investigations that the public is not privy to
which can be thwarted by an unknowing civilian’s involvement. There is a myriad of nuances to the law from investigation, arrest, and prosecution that involve years of technical, tactical, and legal training—which is ongoing throughout our careers. What the public sees on social media and television is dramatized, incomplete, over-simplified, and often inaccurate.
As a reminder, a person who chooses to pose as law enforcement, meddles in
ongoing investigations, or is violent, may also be subject to criminal prosecution if a law
is violated.
The citizens of Vanderburgh County can rest assured they have a fighter in their
corner and citizens can trust that I will work with law enforcement to respond with
diligence and integrity to their concerns.
