A Republican councilor is threatening to withhold funding from an Indianapolis agency with a budget near $30 million after a highly critical audit. Read more: bit.ly/4exFwLt

My response to murder and robbery charges filed against a 14-year-old in Brett Scrogham's case, Marion County's juvenile crime crisis, and the shroud of secrecy in the juvenile justice system. 📽️0:32 Moral clarity needed regarding accountability 📽️1:42 Mears doesn't understand deterrence 📽️2:14 Juvenile crime crisis 📽️2:46 Juvenile justice under Mears is a joke 📽️4:30 Failed leadership emboldens criminals 📽️4:42 Call for Statehouse and court administration to limit juvenile justice secrecy 📽️5:03 I worked in the juvenile system and saw how the interests of victims and the public were ignored 📽️5:22 Shroud of secrecy around juvenile crime protects lenient judges and an ideological prosecutor alike 📽️5:46 Clear choice this fall: Defense attorney in prosecutor's clothes or Foust, a true prosecutor

The status quo in Marion County of coddling criminals has to stop. As your next prosecutor, I will: 🎯Tackle juvenile crime head-on: clear standards and real consequences; we can't afford to ignore this crisis or treat juvenile offenders like they are the victims. 🎯Refocus the office away from political trends and back towards the core mission: enforcing the law, seeking justice for victims, and protecting the public. 🎯Repair partnerships across the justice and public safety systems: public safety in Marion County requires an all-hands-on-deck approach rather than a prosecutor who alienates police, surrounding prosecutors, the statehouse, and every other potential partner. Thanks, @hammerandnigel and @93wibc.

My reaction to Marion County's fifth homicide in a week. I recently heard about the passing of Brett Scrogham, who was shot Thursday at 6 PM in a parking garage in an apparently random act of violence before he was set to meet his family for an Indians game. Unfortunately, this marks at least the fifth Indianapolis homicide in the last week. I wanted to share my deep condolences to the family and friends of: Brett Scrogham, Gregory Montrez Anderson, Za Sean Allen Davis, Jamell Williams, and Patricia Wieber. We can't allow ourselves to become so callous that we gloss over the fact that five people who were all with us just one week ago had their lives tragically cut short by violence in the crossroads of America But this is not only tragic, it is infuriating. Like many families who occasionally take in an Indians game, we can't stop thinking about how something so wholesome and so American was turned into bloodshed and horror for this family. While we don't know all the facts, we do know that if families don't feel safe from random violence downtown at 6 PM on a Thursday, our capital will fall apart. I want to clearly and unequivocally say that the level of crime and disorder in our capital is not normal. This is not acceptable. And it does NOT have to be our future.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Indy Prosecutor mansplaining to Carmel Mayor that it’s the fault of other counties who had 1 case with Violent Offender 👉 Not his County where the Offender currently has (4) Felony cases pending and (at least 14) prior convictions #LetThatSinkIn #BlameGame

Ryan Mears: The buck stops... everywhere but here. Unfortunately, our current prosecutor is ALLERGIC TO ACCOUNTABILITY: whether for himself or for criminals. He's out here lecturing Carmel’s mayor for singling out Marion County, while a Marion County repeat offender with a 14-page rap sheet — arrested ~50 times since 2019 — is back on the streets carjacking innocent people, seriously injuring one of them, and crashing into a gas station, another vehicle, and then a house.* Nice try. The vast majority of his cases and convictions are right here in Marion County. Enough excuses. Enforce the law. Seek justice for victims. Protect the public. *All criminal charges are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This isn't about politics. It's about public safety. Today, 57% of those arrested in our city come from Marion County. Nearly 40% of the inmates in our county jail are from Marion County. The reality is clear: Marion County is exporting its crime to the surrounding counties, and our residents are paying the price. Families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods. Law enforcement deserves a justice system that backs up their hard work. And repeat offenders should be held accountable before they victimize another family. It's time for all regional leaders to come to the table and confront this issue head-on. We need solutions that prioritize accountability, support law enforcement, and keep dangerous criminals off our streets. Our residents deserve better. fox59.com/video/carmel-mayor…

If I told you that one man since 2020 has faced over 30 criminal cases in Indiana, including most being felony charges in Marion County for theft, resisting law enforcement, drug offenses, residential entry, auto theft, and criminal trespass, would you expect him to be in jail? Me too. Recently, he allegedly committed a violent crime against Carmel residents, injured a victim and terrorized a family. Unacceptable. Let me ask what many residents are likely thinking: How does this happen?! Carmel and other donut county residents pay the price when repeat offenders in Marion County cycle through the system without accountability. Our residents deserve to be safe. And police officers, who repeatedly do their jobs and put themselves in harm’s way, deserve a system that works alongside them. We’ve invested in more personnel, technology and partnerships to keep Carmel safe. Enough is enough. This cannot be our new normal. It’s time Marion County does their part and holds criminals accountable.

RT @PhilipMFoust: Enough with EXCUSES for murderers and armed robbers! Ryan Mears says “kids" are "not always going to make the right choic…

Marion County, this Mother's Day Join Philip Foust’s Campaign for Prosecutor... Because every mother…every family… deserves to feel safe again. philipfoust.com Let’s give the mothers in our lives something that really matters: Safer homes Safer neighborhoods Safer streets Safer parks A Safer Indianapolis And a safer Marion County for all of us. Paid for by Committee to Elect Philip Foust.

Comfortable lie in Marion County: Juvenile offenders are just misunderstood victims. Hard truth: The ABSOLUTE WORST thing you can do for juvenile offenders is convince them they are the victims and their actions don't have consequences. Our pity doesn't benefit young offenders. And making excuses for them only guarantees more real victims tomorrow. Hard truths build a functional society. Comfortable lies erode it. What do you think about my update to the chart circulating widely from @elonmusk and @bhalligan?

Phillip Foust, a Republican candidate for Marion County prosecutor, spoke ahead of tonight’s City-County Council meeting downtown about the push for tougher laws involving teenagers and crime. He described what’s happening in Indianapolis as a crisis involving teen crime.

Sounds familiar: Lafayette Square, Washington Square... Castleton Square is next. Continued violence will drive out businesses and shoppers. We need a prosecutor who understands public safety and confidence in the justice system are foundational for everything else: education, economic development, sports, arts, and culture. May 2026: Man critically injured in shooting outside restaurant west of mall wishtv.com/news/person-criti… April 2026: Juvenile stabbed inside Castleton Square Mall wrtv.com/news/local-news/cri… March 2026: Fatal shooting at LongHorn Steakhouse near mall wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-… Jan 2026: Shoplifter stabs good Samaritan inside Castleton Square Mall fox59.com/news/indycrime/sho… Dec 2025: Large juvenile disturbance at Castleton Square Mall (false active shooter panic) fox59.com/news/juveniles-act… This pattern is driving businesses and shoppers away for good.

Audit finds that several contracts were awarded to vendors with "significant connections" to employees of the city's health and public safety office indystar.com/story/news/loca… via @jordantsmith09 @ryanhelenavt

The OPHS audit demands accountability. @IndyMayorJoe’s Agency: ➡️Grossly exceeded its budget ➡️Failed to meet basic contract requirements ➡️Lacked oversight of taxpayer funds ➡️ Awarded contracts to vendors with ties to OPHS staff READ MORE in @FOX59: fox59.com/indiana-news/city-…

An internal audit of the city’s Office of Public Health and Safety is prompting calls for funding freezes to the agency. The review found that several contracts were awarded to companies with connections to current OPHS employees: bit.ly/420aNQb bit.ly/420aNQb

This is what almost 8 years of @ryanmearsindy has gotten us!! We need a prosecutor who will do his job! He has failed this city!! #MearsHasToGo!! Vote @PhilipMFoust!

We are hosting @PhilipMFoust tomorrow night. He wants to be the prosecutor for Marion County. If you live, work, or visit Marion County, you should come by and meet him. @IndyGOP

When did we vote to cede downtown to lawlessness? That's rhetorical, but I know when we vote to take it back!