Training coroners
Editorial
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
January 12, 2007
Last summer’s tragic misidentification of a Taylor University student killed in a traffic crash on Interstate 69 set off a chorus of calls for changes in Indiana’s disjointed coroner system. Legislators and the Indiana State Coroner’s Association should be commended for taking steps to answer that call to professionalize the system.
Sen. Pat Miller, R-Indianapolis, has introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to require more qualifications of county coroners. The coroner’s office is established under the state’s constitution, and setting standards for coroner candidates that are higher than for other elected offices requires an amendment.
Also, the coroner’s association this week announced a grant from the National Traffic Safety Council – via the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute – to establish a statewide death reporting system. The $154,000 grant from the National Traffic Safety Council will provide software and laptop computers for the 85 county coroners who don’t have computer systems that allow them to complete and store forms.
Dick Alfeld, chief investigator for the Allen County Coroner’s Office and a member of the coroner association board, said the software system will be especially useful to small counties that don’t have recordkeeping systems of their own and will allow the safety council to collect more accurate traffic accident death statistics.
Another issue lawmakers should address this year: Setting a deadline for coroners to release the cause and manner of deaths they investigate. Currently, there are no time requirements for the public release of coroner’s reports, allowing a coroner to withhold this public information indefinitely.
Indiana’s coroner system is a product of a state constitution that allows practically any adult who meets residency requirements and doesn’t have a felony record to be elected coroner. As a result, funeral directors, former police officers, truck drivers and office managers run coroner offices around the state. Allen County has been fortunate to have medical professionals in the post for the most of the past quarter-century.
The legislature moved several years ago to require deputy coroners to gain certification from the state coroner training board but could not require coroners to become certified. Many county coroners – but not all – voluntarily seek certification from the state coroner training board.
Amending the state constitution is a long, arduous process – as it should be – requiring the approval of legislators elected in two separate sessions and approval by a statewide referendum. The best course of action would be to replace the system of elected coroners with a system of specially trained medical examiners.
Such a change would be much more difficult politically, though, than increasing training requirements.
The coroner’s job is enormously important and has grown more
technically complex over the years. It’s imperative that Indiana’s
cadre of county coroners receives the best training possible.
© 2007 Journal Gazette and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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