Concerned with the recent spike in violent crime in Indianapolis, city public safety officials the Mayor’s Office announced a new plan to reduce crime this summer. The plan, which involves partnerships with several outside agencies, uses combines law enforcement tactics with community outreach to help make neighborhoods safer. Last year’s summer plan results in nearly 1,300 arrests, totaling more than 2,400 filed charges and the seizure of more than 220 illegally possessed guns.
The 2014 summer plan involves a several pronged approach. The “Operation SAFE” initiative will work on getting information about individuals responsible for committing violent crimes through covert and overt investigations, then acting on that information as fast as possible. Officials will also hold community impact meetings when acts of violence happen in neighborhoods — these meetings will take place within 72 hours of an incident, so that officials can share information and resources.
A few initiatives will focus on the root causes of crime, and work to prevent problems before they start. Recognizing that robbery parolees are likely to re-offend within three weeks of release if they don’t receive monitoring or services, officials have activated an Indianapolis Parole Accountability Team (InPACT). InPACT is a partnership between the Department of Corrections and IMPD, where a parole agent is assigned to police districts to identify parolees returning to the city, then helping them with services and opportunities to help them lead a crime-free lifestyle. Community organizations, including the Salvation Army of Central Indiana and Fathers & Families, will lend a hand in this effort. Officials have also noted that recent violent crimes have stemmed from a lack of conflict resolution skills. In a partnership with IMPD and Indy Housing, new clients to the low-income housing program will be required to attend classes on being a good neighbor, parenting, financial responsibility, conflict resolution, and domestic abuse.
Residents can also expect to see a bigger police presence. Tactical Active Patrols in active crime hot-spots, high visibility traffic enforcement ares in high crime areas, and “C.L.E.A.N Sweeps” using a network of agencies to concentrate on a specific area for a brief period, are a big part of the summer plan to keep the streets safe. Behind the scenes, the criminal tracking units and strategic investigations officers will be working together to identify and pass information along. Detectives working on narcotics and gangs will use the information to make arrests.
Officials also noted that several community-based organizations will play a part in keeping young people engaged in positive activities throughout the summer. Among the organizations working on curbing youth crime are Young Men, Inc., Forest Manor Multi-Service Center, the Indianapolis Boys and Girls Club, and Shepherd Community Center. Community affairs officers will assist Downtown patrols by riding buses into downtown to monitor passengers, or patrolling the downtown area on busy weekend evenings to encourage proper behavior.
The root causes of the upswing in homicides and other violent crimes are many; officials cite a dramatic increase in heroin use in the past year. IMPD noted that the 3 percent increase in robberies this year is largely driven by heroin addiction. Law enforcement officials are also worried about the alarming rate of multiple victim homicides. As of June 27, 8 of 58 criminal homicide incidents included multiple victims, including one with 4 deaths.
Residents are encouraged to help police by keeping close watch in neighborhoods and reporting suspicious activity to 9-1-1. Smartphone users can also get a free app, safetown, which allows users to track crime as it is happening, get alerts, and report a problem. Go to https://indy.safetown.org on your iPhone or Android device to download the app.
