INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis is inching closer to, and will most likely surpass, the 200 homicide mark for the year soon.
Hoping to put the minds of Indy residents at ease, both Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indianapolis Metro Police Chief Randal Taylor have been going on monthly public safety walks in neighborhoods where most of the crime has been happening.
There were over 240 people killed in Indianapolis in 2020.
“It would be great if we don’t hit that milestone,” said Chief Taylor. “But assuming that we will, we are constantly finding ways to curb it, to find ways to get those people off the street that need to be off the street and held accountable for their violent acts.”
Hogsett and Taylor have been going on these walks every month this year, all while city leaders are pushing a public safety plan passed earlier this year to pump $160 million into public safety efforts.
“Most of those monies, a lot of them, will be going to our IMPD officers,” Hogsett said. “Better technology and the like. Most of the three-year anti-violence program will go into violence interruption, disruption, prevention, avoidance so that we are being as proactive as we are reactive.”
The plan gives IMPD the department’s largest operating budget in its history. It would also focus on crime prevention efforts that would not include police officers, such as education and community outreach.
Hogsett is quick to clarify that even if the plan is approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council, it will not be an overnight fix of Indianapolis’ issues with violent crime.
