Indy violent crime is down, criminal homicides are up, and mayor has a plan
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Mayor Joe Hogsett on Thursday rolled out a crime-reduction plan calling for more police on the street and more intervention.
His long-awaited announcement came while Indianapolis violent crime is down but criminal homicides are up compared to 2019.
Hogsett said he has asked Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to change the way it operates.
But, he said, the No. 1 thing people will notice is more officers out of their cars and spending time in their beats. The department is returning to community-based beats and has increased the number of beats to 106 from 78.
The use of surveillance cameras has been a hot issue in the past couple of weeks as violence has erupted along downtown’s Canal Walk. The city has plans for additional cameras along walkway at the Indiana Central Canal and linking existing, privately owned cameras to IMPD.
Starting in August, some IMPD officers will have body-worn cameras installed. All 1100 street officers will have cameras by the end of the year.
Are these changes enough?
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said, “But as for the actual problem of those numbers going down, like I said before, it’s going to require efforts on everybody’s behalf, not only ours, but the communities and other groups, resources groups that will be able to get in and help with that. Because like I said, I’m not so sure anyone knows the exact reason why these numbers have gotten as high as they have.”
Funding for the new programs will take money. The city expects to see a drop in tax revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic but the effects are not expected until 2021.
