‘Cross this line, you’ll do more time’: Johnson County prosecutor, sheriff appear on crime deterrence billboard

That is the message advertised on a billboard in Greenwood, warning visitors from other counties that they will be arrested and charged if they enter Johnson County and commit crimes.

Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner and Sheriff Duane Burgess appear on the billboard for a second consecutive year, which is visible to motorists taking the Main Street and County Line Road exits of southbound Interstate 65.

“We see a disproportionate amount of crime flowing in from other counties, particularly on the north side,” Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said. “This billboard sends a clear message: this is the line. Cross it, and you’ll face a level of prosecution you’re not accustomed to. If you’re coming here to prey on Johnson County residents, rethink that decision. We won’t tolerate it.”

Hamner noted that the billboard costs $4,000 and that it will be displayed for one month.

More context

The billboard addresses recent conversations centered around the prosecution of crimes in Indianapolis, amid claims from prosecutors that crimes are continuing to trickle into surrounding counties.

The topic reached a boiling point in July when Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears responded to Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s criticism of his office for not doing more to prevent youth violence in the Circle City.

Braun said that Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and the prosecutor’s office should “shoulder near full responsibility” when discussing recent violence that erupted throughout downtown.

“Indianapolis’s own justice system is not doing the job,” Braun said at the time.