INDIANAPOLIS – On Thursday, May 5, Mayor Joe Hogsett, IMPD Chief Troy Riggs and IMPD Operations Command Staff marked the beginning of IMPD’s transition to community policing. Starting that day, officers will be patrolling 19 beats across Indianapolis, as part of Mayor Hogsett neighborhood focused public safety plan. The new beats will allow for greater interaction between officers and residents and help enhance quality of life in neighborhoods. As officers walk the streets in their new beats, they will get to know the neighborhoods they police, learn firsthand about the challenges and opportunities of a community and establish relationships that will lead to greater communication.
The kickoff began at the Englewood Recreation Center at 23 N. Rural St. on the east side. The 19 beats will be expanded as more officers graduate from the IMPD Academy and the police department grows. The announced beats include the focus areas throughout the city where the majority of crimes take place. Officers in those beats will receive additional training.
Beat policing allows officers to get to know neighbors and business owners and develop relationships with them.