INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD is asking for help cracking down on underage parties at short term rentals following a series of recent shootings.
Police said the underage parties are often promoted on social media and the public can help by reporting those events before they happen.
Early Sunday morning, an underage party ended with gunfire at a home in Butler Tarkington. Some neighbors said parties at the rental property on Graceland have been a nuisance for months.
“Every weekend it’s been a party pretty much where we have a disturbance because we share a wall,” said neighbor Jen Delia.
After the shooting, police arrested three 19-year-old suspects following a short pursuit. Court records claim police witnessed nearly 70 teens flee from the party where numerous drugs were recovered.
“It’s been terrible,” said Delia.
Delia said they managed to get the adjoining duplex removed from Airbnb, but the constant parties next door have been frustrating.
“I just wish people would value their properties a lot more,” said Delia.
In addition to that crime, in late March a teenage house party at a rental home in Fountain Square left one teen wounded and 13-year-old Jasmine Rodriguez dead.
That same night a 16-year-old girl was also hurt after being shot leaving a different party at a short term rental on east 10th street.
“What we don’t want is these large gatherings taking place without parental supervision,” said IMPD Captain Chris Boomershine.
Captain Boomershine advises landlords not to rent to local residents looking for last minute one night reservations because those often lead to illegal parties.
“The landlords need to be vigilant who they rent that space to,” said Boomershine.
Police said right now there’s no specific ordinance in Indianapolis regulating short term rentals. That’s why the public needs help reporting those underage events before problems arise.
“As the night goes on what we see is the gathering gets out of control and that’s when we have gun violence,” said Boomershine. “It has in several instances and that’s what we’re trying to prevent.”
Anyone with information regarding these flyers about upcoming events at short-term rentals should contact Nuisance and Abatement by email at IMPD_NusianceAbatement@indy.gov
Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.
IMPD also offered a list of questions landlords can ask potential renters to stay safe. Those include:
- Getting specific details on the event being planned such as what the occasion is for the party and who is being invited.
- Making sure there is a minimum age for guests to attend.
- Set rules for the number of people allowed inside.
- Post surveillance at the entrance to the property as well as noise monitoring devices to monitor the party.
- Request the social media accounts of person rent the location.
- Report bad renters to Aibbnb or other companies to prevent them from renting in the future.
- Landlords can also follow up with a physical inspection the night of the rental.
- Allowing last minute one night rental by local residents is again a big red flag.
