People go to the hospital to get help. But at Indianapolis hospitals, an alarming number are arrested and sent to jail instead.
At Eskenazi Health, the city’s only public hospital, police officers are arresting someone every two to three days on average. Most often, they’re detained for non-violent offenses, such as trespassing and disorderly conduct.
It’s a window into a growing trend of specialized police forces who patrol four major Indianapolis hospital systems — but with little public oversight.
Hospital leaders say police are necessary to protect staff from violence. But the Marion County sheriff and local public defenders warned vulnerable patients experiencing mental health crises are being arrested instead of being treated.
In our investigative series, “Hospitals and Handcuffs,” read the stories of impacted patients and learn about the policies that created the pipeline from hospitals to jail.
