INDIANAPOLIS-–The current IMPD Police Chief, Bryan Roach is a good man, but he’s not the man for these times, says State Senator Jim Merritt.
Merritt, a Republican candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis running against Democrat Joe Hogsett, told 93 WIBC’s Tony Katz Thursday morning he recommends Bill Benjamin be the next police chief.
“Bill Benjamin is somebody who had a clearance rate of 81{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3}. He led the nation in solving murders and is the best person for the job of IMPD Chief,” Merritt said.
Benjamin is a former IMPD deputy chief. He says Merritt’s proposed public safety plan matches the platform he used in 2018 when he ran for Marion County Sheriff.
In criminal justice, the clearance rate is calculated by dividing the number of crimes that are “cleared” by the total number of crimes recorded. Clearance rates are used by various groups as a measure of crimes solved by the police.
“Right now, our clearance rate is 44{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3} in Indianapolis. There’s a 60{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3} that if you commit a murder in Indianapolis, you’ll get away with it. That’s totally unacceptable,” Merritt said.
Merritt says he wants to implement a swarm technique, which a plan to increase police patrols in high-crime areas to respond to violence. Some people in Indianapolis think that technique promotes “stop and frisk” practices, but Merritt says he never said those words.
“That is completely false. What I am proposing are techniques that have worked in other cities. It’s all about great police work. It’s also about having cameras that work, having body cameras that work, and having police cars that are not from 2007. There are so many different changes that we will bring on,” Merritt said.
Merritt says he will have a homicide task force that is unmatched. He also continues to emphasize the importance of having a Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, a position that Hogsett cut.
The election is in November.
(PHOTO: WIBC)
