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INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, IMPD, and other leaders met to give an update into their 2023 Gun Violence Reduction Strategy.

Mayor Hogsett met with IMPD, members of the City-County Council, The Indianapolis Public Safety Foundation (IPSF), the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) and local non-profits to give an update into 2022’s crime statistics and discussing moving forward. The focus was on his Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, which was announced and began to be implemented last year.

The Gun Violence Reduction Strategy uses $150 million given by the American Rescue Plan. The money is going to creating 100 new IMPD officers alongside upgrading crime-fighting technology, enrolling 50 Peacemakers to help at-risk individuals from committing crimes, expanding mental health resources, and put $45 million into Elevation Grants – which is a grassroots campaign for violence prevention.

“I am grateful for the progress we’ve made reducing criminal homicides during this first full year of the three-year strategy.” said Mayor Hogsett in a press release, “But to speak about our progress is not to diminish the challenges that remain or the anguish families still experience after acts of criminal violence. It only means that a holistic approach – one that involves neighbors, community organizations and law enforcement – is working, and it must be continually improved for even better results.”

The event was held in the Mackida Loveal & TRIP (MLT) Outreach Center Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson for MLT briefly spoke before the event, saying that thanks to one of the Elevation Grants, they were able to help almost 3,000 people in their mentorship programs and resources.

“Indianapolis achieved a 16% reduction in murders and 14% reduction in non-fatal shootings. That’s significant,” said David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform, “This city has not experienced that in at least 20 years, but we think ever.”

Indianapolis experienced 211 criminal homicides in 2022, a reduction of 16.3% against 2021’s total of 252. The result of Mayor Hogsett’s antiviolence strategy in 2022 represents the largest proportional decrease in criminal homicides since the incorporation of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in 2007.