Indiana

City Unveils New Crime Strategy

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Indianapolis Public Safety officials are unveiling a new strategy this morning in an effort to starve off a potential record homicide year (40-42 depending on how you do the math) and the perception of rising crime.

The plan includes giving IMPD’s district commanders more authority to direct patrols and respond to challenges.  Police will also relocate district offices into more accessible locations.

The Ballard administration says it doesn’t just want to declare a “war on crime” but re-engage in community policing.  Other parts of the plan include…

• A more effective use of timely and accurate intelligence by upgrading IMPD’s technology infrastructure.  In addition IMPD plans to expand  its county-wide wireless network so that so officers may have information regarding crime stats in real time.
• Implement  best crime fighting practices used in other cities.
• Reorganize the Investigation Division to better crackdown drugs, illegal use of guns, and make sure every IMPD officer has criminal interdiction training.
• Use Neighborhood Resource Officers to crackdown on disorderly behavior such as street-level drug dealing, underage drinking and prostitution.
• Also work more closely with other city agencies such as Animal Care and Control, Public Works and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods to address environments that are condusive to crime.
• Better coordinate efforts with state and federal law enforcement partners, community faith based organizations, and prisoner reentry efforts.

The objectives are of course very broad in nature.  And the devil as always in the details.  However, as I’ve written before the city is at a crossroads when it comes to its homicide rate and the powers that be need to get things under control real quick.

Public Safety Director Frank Straub likes to say “now is our time.”  I strongly agree, and I’ll add there’s not a lot of it either.

Note:  Dr. Frank Straub will be a guest on my morning radio show tomorrow at 8:40 to go into more details on the city’s plan.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on April 20, 2010 (boomark / email).