For a city that once held the highest murder rate in the country in the early 1990s, reducing gun violence has been a central focus of city leaders for the past quarter of a century. Last year, Gary recorded 28 homicides, the city’s lowest total in 55 years. The drop was accompanied by a nearly […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
As Neighboring States Legalize, Gary Residents Still Risk Arrest Over Weed
Gary residents can legally buy marijuana less than an hour away in Illinois. Back home, they can still be arrested for having it. That contradiction is becoming harder to ignore in Northwest Indiana, where state leaders are once again weighing cannabis policy while leaving current laws largely unchanged. Indiana remains one of the few Midwestern […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Policing
$3 Million Investment to Bring Modern Police Squad Cars to Gary Streets
Gary police will soon patrol the streets in a new fleet of high-tech squad cars, thanks to a $3 million investment in partnership with Hard Rock Casino designed to boost public safety and community service. “This investment marks a major step towards strengthening public safety and ensures giving our officers the modern tools and technology […]
Posted inCrime, Criminal Justice
Gary Police Report Sharp Decline in Homicides and Non-Fatal Shootings
Homicides in Gary decreased by more than 50% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year, with city leaders attributing this to investments in proactive policing and community partnerships, which contributed to a broader decline in crime and traffic incidents. According to the Gary Police Department’s 2025 Mid-Year Public […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Larry Hoover’s Federal Sentence Commuted. How Have Chicago Streets Changed?
Larry Hoover, founder of a notorious Chicago street gang who has spent the past three decades in solitary confinement in federal prison, was granted clemency by President Donald Trump on Wednesday — but his legal troubles are far from over. Hoover’s six life-term federal sentences have been commuted to time served, but he will serve […]
Posted inCrime
Jury Convicts Man of Kidnapping Father and Daughter Outside Michael Jackson’s Childhood Home
A Gary man has been convicted on multiple felony charges in connection with a violent attack that took place last summer near one of the city’s most visited landmarks. On Thursday, a Lake County jury found 69-year-old Oasia Barnes guilty on 17 felony counts, which include rape and sexual battery, according to court documents. Prosecutors […]
Posted inCommunity, Criminal Justice, History
Historical Plaque in Municipal Gardens Remembers Slain Black Man, Helps Ensure Painful Past is not Forgotten
This story was originally published by The Indiana CItizen One hundred and three years after his body was found hanging from a sapling along the banks of the White River, George Tompkins is finally getting his story written into the pages of history. Tompkins, a 19-year-old Black man living in Indianapolis with his aunt and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Gary’s Historic Fight Against Gunmakers Faces New Challenge
One of the nation’s longest-running legal battles over guns — with a predominantly Black city facing off against the nation’s leading gun manufacturers, retailers, and the state of Indiana — is intensifying as Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita seeks its dismissal after Lake County Superior Court Judge John M. Sedia ruled in the city’s favor […]
Posted inCourts, Partner Content, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Rights
Indiana Doctors Fight to Keep Abortion Records Private Amid Legal Battle
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The fight over whether terminated pregnancy reports (TPRs) filed with the state are public records took a new turn Wednesday as lawyers argued in a hearing on a preliminary injunction that the documents are used to harass doctors who perform abortions. The two doctors who […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Government
Former Gary Mayor Jerome Prince Sentenced to Probation, Avoids Jail Time
Jerome Prince, the former mayor of Gary, was sentenced Thursday in federal court to one year of probation and fined $26,750 for using campaign funds to buy a private residence. Prince, who pleaded guilty last year to misusing campaign funds, admitted in court documents to defrauding donors by falsely claiming their contributions were for campaign […]