How Bloomington is Trying to Prevent Crime from Happening
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Bloomington officials are attempting to stop crime before it starts, and it’s working. In a unique approach, the Community and Family Resources Department is partnering with traditional local law enforcement to help make it happen.
According to the city’s latest public safety report, violent crime in Bloomington when down by nearly 25% in 2024. The overall crime rate fell by nearly 1%.
“We are trying to be preventative and on the cutting edge of trying to make sure that we can keep our community safe,” said Shatoyia Moss, the department’s director.
Moss was named director of the department in summer 2024, and has been making big moves for the city since.
An emphasis on police partnerships like this comes after a national reckoning on policing five years ago this month. That’s why the department doled out a total of nearly $365,000 last year as part of two key grants.
“We have our Violence Reduction Grant, and that grant goes to community organizations that help prevent violence before it ever occurs, and turns into a crisis,” Moss said.
That grant was divvied up between five different agencies.
The department also has its Downtown Outreach Grants, funding 15 groups helping homelessness in the city.
It’s not just money making the difference, though.
“We’re able to put out resource guides that directly target community members that are at risk, and those who want to know that information, and make it very accessible and transparent,” Moss said.
There were nearly 8,000 searches last year for these resources on helpingbloomingtonmonroe.org.
Some of the most commonly searched phrases included, “help pay for housing,” “help find housing,” “personal care items,” and “clothing.”
That accessibility doesn’t stop there, and other cities in the state are taking note.
“My advice for those communities is just to listen to your community,” Moss said. “You want to be as transparent as possible, let them know what’s going on, and get that feedback. Although we’re a really great city and we function really well, we can’t be everywhere at once, and we don’t know all the ins and outs. So, even as a community member here in Bloomington, I thrive because I know my voice is being heard. My city council is listening to me, my mayor is listening to me, and those who are wanting to do that work, they are really taking heed and producing those effects for us.”
