After unanimous approval Tuesday, the Indiana Senate will soon vote on a House bill that would bring a state crime task force to Lake County.

House Bill 1095 — authored by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago — would expand the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force area.

Six state senators on the Corrections and Criminal Law committee voted for the bill, which also unanimously passed the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety committee.

The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly’s website.

After the committee hearing, Harris said Allen County was added to the task force two years ago. At that time, he offered an amendment when the House was discussing the bill for Lake County to join the task force.In response, Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, who authored the bill creating the task force, and Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, who authored the Allen County bill, told Harris that one county can join the task force at a time.

Harris said he withdrew the amendment after receiving a promise from Steuerwald and Carbaugh that Lake County would be the next county added to the task force.

“The plan is to take this statewide,” Harris said. “It’s good when you talk about getting guns off the street and also it’s helpful in terms of getting illegal narcotics off the street. Wanting Lake County, where I live and represent, to be a part of that as soon as possible is important to me.”

Since filing the bill, Harris said he talked with Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez, and other sheriff’s officials, about it. Sheriff’s officials have been completely supportive of and are enthusiastic about Lake County being a part of this,” Harris said.

In a statement to the Post-Tribune, Martinez said the sheriff’s department supports the bill and is eager to receive more information on how it will work.

The sheriff’s department believes the task force will facilitate more cooperation between agencies, Martinez said in his statement.

“We look forward to this new level of cooperation and to being a part of an organization committed to removing illegal firearms from our communities,” Martinez said. “We hope this partnership will allow us to share critical resources, intelligence and technology to address gun-related violence in our community and across the state.”

Before the vote, Harris told Corrections and Criminal Law committee members that the Lake County Sheriff supported the program.

In 2024, the task force investigated more than 150 cases that led to the arrest of 232 people, the seizure of more than 270 illegal firearms and 75,507 grams of illegal narcotics, according to a Jan. 30 news release from Harris.

In a statement Tuesday, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he fully supports the task force’s expansion.

Carter believes the involvement will help better prosecute offenders, his statement said.

“I am proud to be part of this effort, and my participation in the task force allows me to contribute my expertise in prosecuting gun-related crimes, ensuring we have a strong legal framework to tackle these issues,” Carter said.

“I urge lawmakers to pass this measure for the safety and well-being of all Hoosiers, including those in Lake County.”

Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary, said it’s important for legislators to take any action they can to curb gun violence. Spencer is one of House Bill 1095’s sponsors.

Sens. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, and Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, also sponsored the bill.

The task force will add value to the whole community, Spencer said. He’s also encouraged by the success it has seen in other areas of the state.

“That’s always a plus,” Spencer said. “It gives you the confidence that it can bear fruit or it could be a value added for our region.”

Dernulc is pleased to know other representatives see the value of adding Lake County to the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, he said Tuesday.

He’s also encouraged by the unanimous support the bill has received, and Dernulc said he expects that trend to continue.

“This (bill) is just common sense,” Dernulc said. “I look forward to the governor signing it.”

Post-Tribune’s Alexandra Kukulka contributed.

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com