INDIANAPOLIS — Days after two suspects were charged with murders allegedly committed while they were on GPS monitoring, the president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police on Wednesday demanded that officials close the 'revolving door' and keep violent offenders in jail.
"This highlights the whole idea of a revolving door of criminal justice," Rick Snyder said Wednesday during a news conference at the FOP headquarters. "They are cycling people back in the neighborhoods with no plan. They have no plan. There are no additional resources. This often leads to tragedy."
Snyder pointed to the recent arrests of Marcus Garvin and Jahion Jarrett, who were on GPS monitoring in connection with violent crimes when they allegedly killed people in separate incidents.
"We're just saying, once again, enough is enough," Snyder said.
In one case, Garvin, 33, was on a court-ordered GPS monitor last week when prosecutors say he allegedly fatally stabbed 30-year-old Christie Holt. Holt's body was discovered Friday in woods near the 7400 block of East 71st Street, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Garvin, records show, was awaiting trial after being charged in December with battery with a deadly weapon. Garvin's bond in the battery case was initially set at $30,000.
Marion Superior Court Judge Shatrese Flowers reduced Garvin's bond to $1,500 and ordered him on GPS monitoring on January 11, records show. Garvin's bond was paid by The Bail Project on January 21 and he was released on January 22.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office charged Garvin with Holt's murder on Tuesday.
In the other case, Jarrett, 17, was wearing a GPS when he allegedly shot and killed Lyft driver Hurts Presendieu on July 8. IMPD officers found Presendieu's body on July 9 behind a church building in the 9400 block of East 25th Street.
Jarrett was on probation at the time of the alleged shooting and wore a GPS ankle bracelet. Detectives traced Jarrett's GPS locations and found they matched Presendieu's final locations in Lyft records, court documents said.
Prosecutors charged Jarrett with murder on Friday.
After a record-setting 245 homicides in 2020, Marion County has seen more than 160 homicides so far this year.
Snyder said the officers he represents are frustrated by a sharp increase in violent crime and an apparent lack of action from Mayor Joe Hogsett and other city leaders. He said he had planned meetings with Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston and Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray to discuss solutions to Indianapolis violence.
Snyder said was also considering seeking help from the Indiana Supreme Court, Gov., Eric Holcomb and Attorney General Todd Rokita.
"It's not going to get addressed on a local level," Snyder said. "Surely this those at the state level can intervene and take some kind of action in this."
Hogsett on Thursday said that he would welcome a review of his administrations efforts to stem violence in the city.
"To Rick Snyder's point, if the state wants to step up and support our efforts and provide more dollars, I welcome that," Hogsett said during a news conference at Martin University in which he outlined the city's overall public safety efforts.
Hogsett said his office has no control over many areas of the justice system, including whether a suspect gets bail or goes to jail. Those decisions are made by the judges who oversee the courts.
"If there needs to be a review of those issues identified by President Snyder, I welcome that review," Hogsett said. "To the extent that I have any involvement in any of those issues, I'm happy to participate."
WRTV has reached out to Marion County Presiding Judge Amy Jones for comment.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc.
