BEDFORD – Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Samuel C. Arp II announces he will seek a second
term in office. He filed his intent to seek the Republican nomination today.
“I want to thank the voters of Lawrence County and all the members of our community for the trust and support they have shown over the past four years,” Prosecutor Arp said. “This administration has worked tirelessly to support those that live and work in Lawrence County by diligently upholding the laws of the great state of Indiana. It is also a great source of pride for me that we have been able to successfully implement a number of new and ground-breaking programs that not only aid in the prosecution of crime, but also serve to promote the rehabilitation of criminals and facilitate their transition towards becoming productive members of our community.”
Four years ago, Prosecutor Arp promised voters he would take a tough stance on the drug epidemic that gripped Lawrence County. He has followed through on that promise with a three-pronged approach to the issue:
First, he worked to reduce the presence of drugs in the community by working with the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section to create the Lawrence County Highway Interdiction Team, developed a state-of-the-art Digital Forensics Lab in Lawrence County, and has taken a firm stance on prison sentences for those people responsible for bringing drugs into our community.
Second, Prosecutor Arp sought to help those individuals who battled drug addiction by working with local treatment facilities to utilize rehabilitation as a tool in the Criminal Justice System. Lastly, Prosecutor Arp has partnered with Community Corrections and other local agencies to develop programs aimed at teaching defendants valuable job skills and helping them find gainful employment.
Prosecutor Arp also developed a program that has helped over 1,000 Lawrence County citizens get their driver’s licenses back. This program has become so popular within the community that Hoosier Uplands saw fit to award Prosecutor Arp with a grant so that the work could be contracted out to a local private attorney.
“Not having a license is a major roadblock that was preventing numerous people from obtaining good-paying jobs and being able to better support their families,” said Prosecutor Arp. “We saw too many people struggling to get their license back simply because they could not afford to pay fines or fees so we decided to work with those individuals to help them streamline the process and get back on the road legally and safely.”
Under Prosecutor Arp’s leadership, law enforcement in Lawrence County has also taken substantial steps to combat domestic violence in the community.
“Whereas the drug epidemic has been a known problem facing the community for some time, it may come as a surprise to some that domestic violence is the second most prevalent crime in the County,” said Prosecutor Arp. “Decreasing the incidence of domestic violence in our community starts with awareness, both within law enforcement and in the community.”
To that end, Prosecutor Arp was able to add a dedicated domestic violence prosecutor in 2020 by successfully obtaining a $56,000 federal grant. According to Prosecutor Arp, the efforts to increase awareness are ongoing and he is excited and hopeful that several new programs, including those focused on educating youth on the topic of domestic violence, will continue to grow and expand their reach throughout Lawrence County.
Going forward, Prosecutor Arp sees the youth of our community as an important focal point of his administration.
“The importance of educating our youth and helping them get on the right path early in life cannot be understated,” he said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to push the pause button on our involvement with local schools and we lost a lot of momentum in that area. Redoubling our efforts to increase involvement within the local schools is of the utmost importance in the coming weeks and months because we know our young people are the future of Lawrence County.”
While great strides have been made over the past three years under Prosecutor Arp, his announcement today clearly indicates that his work in the community is not finished.
“It has been a great honor to serve my community over these past three years,” Prosecutor Arp said. “I am very proud of the work we have done and the things we have been able to accomplish but, I know that we have only scratched the surface in terms of maximizing the beneficial effects the Criminal Justice System can have throughout our community. I look forward to the opportunity to continue working side by side with the people of Lawrence County to bring out the best in our community and I ask the voters for their support so that I can continue my efforts for another four years.”
