News Archive

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s new General Orders Board will oversee police policy in Indianapolis. Professor Lahny Silva was chosen to serve on the board in January. A story about the board and how it will operate appeared in the Indianapolis Star and features comments from Professor Silva.

In the story, Professor Silva said she hopes the board “can help ease community tensions by providing transparency, improving accountability, and creating a real sense of trust in our police department. We will build that trust by fulfilling our obligation to the community to ensure that the rules governing IMPD police officers are well-defined, accessible to the public, and reflective of best practices and current laws." Her nomination received unanimous support, the story indicated.

The new board will oversee the rules by which IMPD operates. Citizen members of the board outnumber police who serve on it 4 to 3. The new board replaces the General Orders Committee, which was comprised of police department appointees. Under the new board structure, the Indianapolis City-County Council nominates three members, Mayor Joe Hogsett one, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor nominates two, and the police department’s membership nominates one.

Professor Silva joined the faculty in Summer 2011. She and her students are active participants in the U.S. District Court’s REACH program, which helps people newly released from prison re-establish their lives. Professor Silva also is a driving force behind the law school’s annual Re-Entry Job and Resource Fair. Her areas of interest include criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law, torts, and evidence. She received the Indianapolis Bar Association's 2017 Unsung Hero award and was named to the Indianapolis Business Journal's Forty Under 40 class in 2018.