Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Indianapolis - Violent crime in Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana has risen to astronomical levels. In the third quarter of 2018, there were 118 homicides and 331 non-fatal shootings in Marion County alone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana (USAO) has faced this challenge head-on, pouring resources into addressing this crisis. Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney, collaborated with each of the six (6) Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) districts and federal agencies including, but not limited to, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF) to utilize intelligence-led policing and mandatory minimum sentences as both a shield and sword.

One effective method of confronting violent crime is prevention. The USAO is committed to ensuring the public is well-informed about the soaring crime rates and the Department’s intentional and collaborative response. In order to better disseminate this information, the USAO has partnered with Anderson University’s (AU) Department of Communication & Design Arts to expand the information ecosystem through internships and work-study programs.

“Reducing violent crime is a top priority for the Southern District of Indiana,” said Minkler. “Due to [Anderson] President John Pistole’s longstanding ties to government and the high regard in which he is held, a partnership with Anderson University made complete sense, and is beneficial to both parties. In bringing these interns into our office, we are enabling bright young minds to present us with new and exciting ways to reach our citizens, and in turn, educate our constituencies about ways to prevent violent crime.”

President Pistole served as Administrator for the United States Transportation Security Administration and Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation before serving as the fifth President of Anderson University. He shared, “Anderson University offers several opportunities to equip students with real-world experience, and partners with a wide variety of employers, like the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana. We value the distinctive, compelling, and relevant skills that students learn from programs like this to prepare a successful career of faith and service."

In addition to receiving academic credit, the AU student interns are able to gain invaluable real-world experience, working side-by-side with public information officers in the USAO, assisting with:

• Communications with national and local news media, gathering news clips, assisting with interviews and press conferences, editing and issuing new releases on a variety of topics.
• Providing research assistance and contributing to other communications projects.
• Researching, drafting, editing and evaluating social media and web communications projects on a variety of topics and providing other duties as assigned.

The USAO remains committed to curbing the violent crime emergency plaguing Marion County. In addition to making use of its many federal resources, the USAO is excited to continue partnering with Anderson University and its students to produce a constituency that is both aware and informed of happenings in the Department in order to prevent future violent crime and protect the District’s citizens.