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Media Contact:
Marcus J. Barlow
Office of the Mayor
Email: mbarlow@indygov.org
Direct: 317-327-3713
Cell: 317-496-5515 |
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Mayor Ballard addresses IMPD officers at City-Wide Roll Call
Following is a transcript of Mayor Ballard’s remarks GOOD AFTERNOON, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE ADDRESSING YOU TODAY. LAST NIGHT, AT 12:01 AM, I OFFICIALLY TOOK COMMAND OF THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT. I MARKED THIS MOMENT BY SENDING A SHORT RADIO BROADCAST ON ALL CHANNELS BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO HEAR FROM ME DIRECTLY.
YOU HAVE A NEW COMMAND STAFF AND I ASK YOU TO GIVE THEM YOUR SUPPORT. MY ONE EVALUATING FACTOR WAS MERIT. IMPD IS NOW A MERITOCRACY, IT IS NOT A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT, YOUR JOB IS NOT POLITICS, YOUR JOB IS TO REDUCE CRIME. THAT IS MY FOCUS AND IT SHOULD BE YOUR FOCUS AS WELL. CURRYING FAVOR IN THE MAYOR’S OFFICE WILL GET YOU NOWHERE. REDUCING CRIME IN YOUR DISTRICT IS WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR. IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE KNOWN AS ONE OF THE PREMIER POLICE FORCES IN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET A LOT OF TOP-DOWN GUIDANCE. I EXPECT YOU TO USE THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE TO BRING FORTH YOUR OWN IDEAS BECAUSE IT IS THE OFFICERS CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM THAT KNOW BEST HOW TO REDUCE CRIME.
WORDS LIKE HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT MEAN A LOT TO ME, AND I EXPECT THEM TO MEAN A LOT TO YOU ALSO. I EXPECT MUCH FROM YOU AS DO ALL THE CITIZENS OF MARION COUNTY. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE SOUL OF THE CITY AND AS SUCH, YOU MUST REFLECT POSITIVELY ON ALL OF IT’S CITIZENS.
OUR CITY’S FUTURE IS BRIGHT. I HOPE YOU FEEL, AS I DO, THE OPTIMISM THAT IS SPREADING ALL ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. YOU REPRESENT THE BEST WE HAVE TO OFFER.
GODSPEED AND BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
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