INDIANAPOLIS – Recently, Mayor Joe Hogsett was joined by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Randal Taylor, members of IMPD Command Staff, and Director of Community Violence Reduction Shonna Majors to provide an overview of 2020 public safety data as well as outline the City’s plans to prevent and reduce violent crime in 2021.
The announcement came days before a mass shooting on the east side killed six and injured one. The murders in the 3500 block of Adams St. occurred early Sunday morning, Jan. 24. A suspect in the murders was arrested on Monday, Jan. 25. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.
IMPD also graduated its 21st Recruit Class on Jan. 12, adding 34 new probationary officers to the force. The increased staffing allows IMPD to continue its efforts to return to community-based policing.
According to the Washington Post, in 2020, the United States experienced the largest single one-year increase in homicides in modern history. In line with these trends seen across the country, overall crime continues to trend down while homicides have spiked in Indianapolis. Criminal homicides increased by nearly 40 percent over 2019 figures, and non-fatal shootings have risen by 41 percent. However, overall violent crime is down nearly 4 percent, with overall crime down nearly 9 percent.
The city outlined 2021 reforms to IMPD operations, which include increased accountability, improving data collection and dissemination, refining training, enhancing community engagement, and a continued focus on behavioral health and wellness.
To achieve these priorities, IMPD will reorganize some divisions and bureaus in 2021 with the goal to be better focused on violence reduction, community safety and engagement.
Noting the importance of regional collaboration, IMPD will continue to build on the successes of the Indianapolis Violence Reduction Partnership (IVRP) and Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in targeting the small number of people, places, and behaviors that are responsible for most of the violence in the metro area. In 2020, CGIC removed 288 firearms and 302 violent individuals from the community.
IMPD will begin a robust engagement process to gather feedback on the community’s expectations for changing responses to low-level, non-violent issues.
To address the increase in gun crimes, the Office of Public Health will collaborate on a gun violence reduction strategy, which include:
• The implementation of violence interrupters/street outreach component in 2021. This partnership with the Indy Public Safety Foundation will provide a salary and accountability framework for street-level interruptions of retaliatory and other potential violence.
• Working together and meeting monthly with peacemakers and grantees in 2021.
The violence reduction team served more than 10,000 families through food and hygiene product distributions organized with community partners. In addition. 462 youth were served by the safe and productive activities on offer through Safe Summer Friday nights.
