9/5/2006
Media Contact:
Steve Campbell, [317] 327-3622
Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-3690 |
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Mayor announces funding for ending early releases from jail, stepped-up crime fighting in 06, 07
Long-term fix, funding proposal to be unveiled this fall
INDIANAPOLIS Mayor Bart Peterson & City Controller Bob Clifford today announced funding to pay for a plan to end early releases from the Marion County Jail and stepped up crime fighting this year and next.
On August 5, Peterson called an emergency meeting of criminal justice officials and called for an immediate halt to early releases from the jail. As a result, there have been no early releases from the jail since August 6. The Marion County Superior Courts responded with an 18-point plan to move cases through the criminal justice process quicker.
The immediate cost for 2006 is $3.17 million. That amount will be covered by spending down fund balances and underspending in other budgets. In 2007, the cost of enhancements to the criminal justice system is $7.3 million and will be covered by additional commercial vehicle excise tax revenues that have come in since the budget was introduced and an improved estimate of state pension relief.
The funding will pay for various steps, including:
- Night court;
- Overtime pay for police officers;
- Additional prosecutors & public defenders;
- Establishing a warrant strike team, to apprehend felony defendants for failing to appear in court;
- Funding for the crime lab to eliminate the backlog of firearms/ballistics tests; and
- Adding commissioners to the Arrestee processing center.
The plan will be introduced to the City-County Council this week. Final passage of the 2007 budget is expected on September 18.
Our partners in the criminal justice system have shown that by sheer will and hard work, it is possible to end early releases for the Marion County jail, Mayor Peterson. These new resources will help us maintain an end to early releases from jail and keep up our intensive crime fighting effort. I am convinced that there never again has to be another early release from the Marion County Jail.
But Peterson added that long-term issues, namely the $400 million police and firefighter pension liability, still loom over the city and county budgets and threaten public safety funding every day.
We must honor our obligation to our retired public safety heroes by paying their pensions, he said. But if we dont find a way to wrestle the pension liability to the ground, it will continue to suck money out of every other account and make it near impossible to keep officers on the street and keep criminals in jail.
Background. Since crime has been up in the city this year, Peterson and Sheriff Frank Anderson have ordered stepped up patrols, the saturation of high-crime areas, increased aggressive curfew & warrant sweeps, new specialized teams to battle street crime and other steps to remove guns from the streets and crack down on violent perpetrators.
On August 5, Peterson called an emergency meeting of the Criminal Justice Planning Council and called for an immediate halt to early releases from the jail. As a result, there have been no early releases from the jail since August 6.
At the time, the Mayor told the group which included judges, the prosecutor, the sheriff, the public defender and others that he would take responsibility for finding funding.
On August 9, the Superior Court responded with an 18-point plan that has resulted in historic court reforms to move cases through the system quicker and go after dangerous suspects who fail to appear in court.
Long-term fix. Peterson also said that he has already begun work on a long-term plan to address the funding needs of public safety in Marion County. He said he would work with councillors, state legislators and others to craft a plan to address the comprehensive problems facing public safety. He said would announce a plan later this year.
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Public Safety Funding
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