INDIANAPOLIS — Mayor Joe Hogsett, along with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Randal Taylor, Criminal Justice Committee Chairman Leroy Robinson and FOP President Rick Snyder recently highlighted technology upgrades that will be implemented throughout the city to combat violent crime.
This investment through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will allocate $9 million over the next three years and will include additional license plate readers, public safety cameras in high-crime areas and along major thoroughfares and a new gunfire detection pilot to help police respond to gun crimes more efficiently and effectively.
“By investing in modern policing technology, we’re equipping IMPD with critical tools to combat the unacceptable levels of violence in Indianapolis neighborhoods,” said Mayor Hogsett. “These technologies represent a key piece of our larger antiviolence efforts, which include historic levels of funding for law enforcement, grassroots violence prevention, and root causes of crime.”
Currently, IMPD has about two dozen stationary License Plate Readers (LPR’s) that capture photos through the Flock Public Safety Program. Stationary LPR’s are solar-powered and were located based on crime and traffic incidents. The department is currently planning an even larger deployment, in partnership with an outside consultant to evaluate current technology and determine a data-driven deployment strategy.
IMPD uses eight mobile LPR’s that are deployed throughout the city on IMPD-marked police cars. Through ARPA funding, IMPD will look to strategically add more stationary LPR’s and evaluate speed detection tools designed to reduce severe crashes caused by reckless driving.
Throughout Indianapolis, IMPD has deployed about 200 public safety camera views including B-Link, partnerships, which provides accountability within public spaces for both residents’ and officers’ actions. These cameras were initially installed for the Super bowl XLVI and have helped investigators solve cases. Through ARPA funding, IMPD will look to add even more community cameras. IMPD will coordinate with neighborhood groups and specific districts before public safety cameras are deployed in neighborhood areas.
As of early October, the city of Indianapolis is on track to have more criminal homicides than last year’s record. So far, the city has experienced 206 murders, with three alone in one night (October 5-6) on the east side.
