Hogsett: Crime prevention programs helping to reduce 2019 homicide tally

Summer violence

Travis Robinson | News 8 at 6 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man died and two other people were in critical condition after at least four separate shootings in less than 24 hours across the city. 

The shootings came after several days with no shootings.

Mayor Joe Hogsett said we’re going to see more crime at hot days and, unfortunately with summer now here, we have a lot more hot days on the way.

The sun may be a relief for some people after all the rain, but for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, it’s a sign that things could become more violent in the city

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“More people are outside,” Hogsett said during a monthly public safety walk on Tuesday. “Sometimes, I suppose, tempers and emotions can get the better of otherwise straight-thinking people.”

From 9 p.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday, four shootings happened.

On Wednesday, one man in his 20s was shot in the head on the northeast side and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

On Tuesday night, a teenage boy was listed in critical condition after being shot on the near-south side. Earlier that night, a man was shot and killed after getting into a fight on the northwest side.

The few days before those without shootings were encouraging to the mayor.

“I think that investment in crime reduction, crime prevention, crime intervention, adding more police officers to our streets with a community-based, beat-oriented approach, those are markers that I think you can rely on to help us make our community as safe as possible,” Hogsett said.

Hogsett said he has also focused on programs to get teens off the street. Those include Safe Saturdays and gang resistance training.

He said prevention on all levels means Indianapolis has fewer homicides so far this year than at this time last year.

“But, that does not mean we’re resting on our laurels,” Hogsett said. “In fact, even though we have fewer homicides, even though the violent crime rate has gone down, even though actually the number of aggravated assaults are fewer this year than at this point last year, we’re not declaring victory because one homicide frankly is unacceptable.”

Hogsett said he will be announcing in a week or so a $300,000 investment in community neighborhood groups to help keep that crime rate low this summer.

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