Central Indiana task force touts strides in gun violence reduction

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Law enforcement leaders this week across central Indiana are highlighting what they call progress in the fight against gun violence.

News 8 first reported on the highlights on Monday. According to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the task force took more than 1,900 guns off the streets in 2025. They say detectives confiscated more than 204 pounds of illegal drugs including more than 13 pounds of fentanyl. IMPD also says officers made nearly 2,800 arrests and recovered 128 stolen vehicles.

The task force brings together officers from multiple departments with one goal: targeting violent offenders before crimes happen. This year, leaders say collaboration made a huge difference. The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, which includes IMPD, Fishers Police Department and the Indiana State Police, was formed in 2021. It works to identify violent offenders and take illegal firearms out of circulation. One of the big goals of the task force is quality over quantity.

IMPD Lt. Jered Hidlebaugh said, “We are not talking about grandma carrying a firearm, we are talking about individuals who are out here committing violence against the citizens of central Indiana. Our second goal was to pull as many machine gun conversion-devices off the streets of central In...