INDIANAPOLIS – Mayor Joe Hogsett and Chief Bryan Roach recently joined community members to announce a series of initiatives to strengthen the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s community policing and community partnership efforts through the summer months and beyond.
As IMPD prepares for June, July, and August — traditionally busy months for public safety officials — a focused effort will continue to target the possession of illegally possessed narcotics and guns. Since May of last year, when a decentralization of IMPD’s narcotics units was launched, nearly 300 guns and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been recovered.
Tactics discussed at today’s briefing include:
• Information Sharing — Initiatives to share investigative information and intelligence across units, even down to the street officers, has resulted in several high-quality arrest and disruption of probable violence.
• Community District Resource Councils (IVRP) — With the recent announcement of Indianapolis Violence Reduction Partnerships (IVRP), enforcement efforts coupled with robust community input has proven to result in greater crime reduction. The Community District Resource Councils have been established in all six IMPD districts through a volunteer effort of community members. These councils, made up of community members and district commanders, will work collectively to address violent crime, build community builders, community advisors, and be a critical response team for each of IMPD’s six districts.
• Engaging Youth — Engaging youth this summer will continue to be a common focus of several of our community partners along with the support of IMPD. Working with Deputy Mayor Dr. David Hampton, we will work to establish viable options for youth during the summer months. Hearing from our youth will help ensure the desired approach is appropriate. IMPD’s Community Engagement Office will continue to engage youth in areas such as athletics, camps, and fun activities. For more information please call the Community Engagement Office at 317-327-3187.
• Violence Preventative Messaging – Working with community partners such as Radio One and Indiana Black Expo, IMPD will enlist the help of our media and civic partners to message about the adverse impacts of violence and personal responsibility that each of us shares.