INDIANAPOLIS — You hear a lot about violent crime in the Circle City from politicians, local leaders, and just about everyone else. Now, Indianapolis police are weighing in with their opinion on the state of the city.
“It’s an unacceptable level of violence and really what we need is some help,” says Assistant Chief of Police Chris Bailey with the Indianapolis Metro Police Department. Assistant Chief Bailey tells WIBC’s Hammer & Nigel that the last few years of police service in Indianapolis have been tough on cops.
“It’s been a tough three years, I’ll tell you that,” says Assistant Chief Bailey, “you know when I took over this job as assistant chief, I would’ve never expected a pandemic, or George Floyd, or the riots or all the things we’ve dealt with over the last three years. The people that have taken it on the chin the most are cops. They don’t deserve it. They are the best of us and the cops in Indianapolis are doing their job to keep us safe. That’s why we need to add more [police], so they [officers] can get a little bit of a break.”
IMPD is currently running it’s “Why We Serve” campaign, a rally to hire over 200 police officers across the department.
Some city leaders and politicians have cited a decrease in certain crime numbers as a sign that Indianapolis is “safe”, and that progress is being made. For Bailey, the numbers don’t really matter. It’s perception versus reality.
Bailey explains, “the people that are living in certain conditions everyday may not, or don’t care what the numbers say because they’re having to live in times where they hear shots and neighbors, friends and relatives are being gunned down.”
He says if the people of Indianapolis aren’t feeling safe, then that means there’s more work to be done.
“Overall, year to year, still unacceptable [crime] numbers,” says Bailey, “still, you know, on pace to be one of if not the second deadliest [years].”
