6/22/2006
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Mayor, Sheriff, & IPD join community to outline new, aggressive tactics to fight summer crime
INDIANAPOLIS In an effort to proactively combat any potential increase in crime this summer, Mayor Bart Peterson and Sheriff Frank Anderson joined Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) leadership and other city departments heads to outline a new, comprehensive and aggressive strategy to protect local neighborhoods during the summer months, when crime generally trends upward.
Flanked by community and religious leaders, the Mayor and Sheriff rolled out the plan, which includes:
- An aggressive reallocation of officers to street patrols;
- Increased curfew and warrant sweeps;
- Weekly city clean-ups and sweeps to tackle problem properties in crime hotspots; and
- Engaging the community in the fight against crime.
The new tactics will be implemented immediately and last through the end of September. The strategies will then be evaluated and considered for long-term execution.
We are taking the recent increase in crime in our city very seriously, Mayor Peterson said. By beefing up community policing and patrols in crime hot spots, cleaning up problem properties and holding negligent owners accountable, and involving residents and the faith-based community to stand against crime in our neighborhoods, we are implementing an aggressive approach that sends a clear message that crime and violence will not be tolerated on the streets of Indianapolis.
Law enforcement is in the process of re-inventing itself through consolidation to better fight crime, Sheriff Anderson remarked. The collaboration between the Marion County Sheriff's Department and the Indianapolis Police Department has been exemplary, and the partnership will only be enhanced with the implementation of this aggressive summer law enforcement strategy.
Increased police presence in neighborhoods. Indianapolis Police Chief Michael Spears outlined a series of changes instituted to increase patrols and police presence on city streets:
Adding more officers to patrol beats. The chief has shifted 37 officers from non-patrol beat assignments to squad cars to increase law enforcement presence and respond to runs faster.
Street Level Enforcement Detail (SLED). This roving special tactical unit, consisting of nine officers and one sergeant, will hit the streets every night in high crime areas and aggressively patrol hotspots.
Firearms interdiction teams. Using federal funding to pay for overtime, two to three officers will be added to duty patrols as firearm interdiction teams, which are charged with getting illegal weapons off the street. The patrols will be conducted in high-crime areas at peak times for crime.
Roving roll calls. IPD will hold roll calls (at least ten per month) out in the neighborhood in different high crime areas to ramp up police presence.
Saturation patrols. Officers assigned to traffic enforcement beats will be shifted to high crime areas to increase police presence in neighborhoods that need it most.
New tact shift commander. A tact shift commander has been added between the 7 p.m and 3 a.m. to cover the entire city. The commander has the ability to manage resources across IPD district and increase patrols when needed.
Event response groups. IPD event response teams, trained to work large public events, will be available for deployment in high crime areas throughout the summer
Increased curfew sweeps. Officers will perform curfew sweeps every week to keep young people off the streets late at night during peak times when crimes can occur.
Stepped up warrant sweeps. IPD will step up the number of warrant sweeps in each police district.
Attacking neighborhood blight in crime hotspots. Stating that crime and blight feed off one another, Peterson outlined a plan to step up clean-up efforts in high crime areas:
Targeted code enforcement sweeps and neighborhood clean ups. Several city agencies, including Public Works, Metropolitan Development and Animal Care & Control and the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Services will perform extensive clean-ups and make infrastructure repairs in targeted high-crime areas.
Crews will cut high weeds, pick up trash and debris along streets and alleys, fill potholes and remove illegal signs. The teams will target at least 20 crime hotspots, as identified by IPD. To support this effort, the city has hired eight additional mowing contractors to cut high weeds in abandoned lots.
Cracking down on owners of blighted properties. The owners of all lots cleaned and mowed by city crews will be cited and have the clean up costs placed on their property tax bill if they fail to pay their initial fines. The city will then follow through with seeking higher fines through civil prosecution for negligent property owners who refuse to maintain their properties.
Engaging the community. Mayor Peterson and police officials have been meeting with groups of ministers already to discuss various ways for churches and other religious organizations to help reduce crime this summer.
Peterson lauded local ministers and neighborhood groups who have already planned and carried out a variety of crime prevention events, such as weekly neighborhood walks, peace rallies and other events aimed at fighting crime. Ministers also have pledged to use their positions in the community to spread the message from the pulpit about the importance of actively standing united against crime and violence.
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