IMPD’s 2020 Plan To Bring Down Violence In The City

INDIANAPOLIS — What’s Indy Metro Police Department’s plan to bring down violence in your city? IMPD says they aren’t going in a new direction to bring down crime, but building on the progress that’s already been established. 

IMPD Chief Randal Taylor told WISH-TV that they will continue to look at focused policing. 

In 2019 both the total number of murders and homicides went down in Indianapolis compared to 2018. But, shootings went up. Over 550 people were shot in Indy in 2019, making it a record year. 

FOP President Rick Snyder told WIBC’s Hammer and Nigel back at the beginning of January that several of those shooting victims were saved by the trauma kits officers now carry with them.

However, Synder said that it’s not a gun violence issue, but a people violence issue. 

“40{5ad3c25f5d8a6462a9daae157324f98d5b0edc4be0c0ed5ad8ca367936c1d337} of violent attacks in the city for 2019 involved edged weapons such as knives. So it shows you that it’s not about what’s in someone’s hands; it’s what’s in their heads and their hearts. And when they are hellbent on committing an act of evil and violence, they’ll use whatever they can get their hands on.”

Both IMPD and Mayor Joe Hogsett say that violence isn’t coming from full communities or neighborhoods but by a small number of individuals who can only be reached by being in the community. 

Taylor gave the example of simple disputes that turn into assaults, saying that police can’t be in everyone’s houses. 

“We want to make sure we provide resources to people and know they can go to get those, but we can’t force everybody to go to them,” said Taylor. “We obviously can’t be in the middle of every single dispute that happens in the city, but if we know about it we want to intervene.”

So, part of the 2020 plan is striving for community outreach. Taylor says police will be doing their part but can’t do everything by themselves. 

Hogsett added that to cut down on the violence in the city all people have to do is step in and do their part, but says that when a crime happens the city shouldn’t act emotionally or in outrage, but plan carefully. 

(Photo: Chalabala/Thinkstock)

(IMPD Chief Randal Taylor Interview By: Travis Robinson)