By Kendall Downing
INDIANAPOLIS – The death of Officer Perry Renn has sparked another debate about the number of police officers on the streets of Indianapolis. The mayor took on the issue Monday, saying increasing the size of the police force isn’t the only answer.
City-county councilors told us Monday night it is the first step and one they will be working toward. They said they’ll work on a compromise in coming months to pay for more police. Public safety leaders want $25 million over five years to hire 500 officers.
“We have to work across the aisle on this. We all have to talk to each other and work on this, council leadership, and leadership in the mayor’s staff. This is too important,” said City-County Councilor Jeff Miller.
But when pressed about more police and the need Monday at an event announcing a $30 million investment to help IUPUI and surrounding neighborhoods, Ballard said the crime problem isn’t unique to Indianapolis.
“That’s not the issue. You guys keep going to that. That is not the issue. If you want to stop violent crime in this city and across the country, you need to rethink what everybody just keeps going to over and over again,” said Ballard.
Ballard said offenders need to be put away for longer, and mindsets need to change to keep people out of a life of crime. He pointed to societal ills causing violent crime across the country.
“We have young men who are dropping out at 13, 14, 15, and they’re dropping out of the system, completely lost to everybody, and then they manifest themselves in violent crime. That’s the issue,” said Ballard.
But a staffing study commission back in April, which the mayor’s office was a part of, found IMPD is severely understaffed by hundreds of cops. Police advise it will only get worse with attrition.
“More of all resources are always part of the issue, no question about that. But if you think that’s really going to stop this, really?” he said.
The deaths of Officer Rod Bradway and Officer Perry Renn heighten the call, according to police. Most councilors agree something must be done to get more police on the street.
“You must be able to service the city of Indianapolis with adequate public safety,” said City-County Councilor Mary Moriarty Adams.
The mayor and Republicans favor ending the homestead tax credit to come up with $9 million. Democrats want to raise the public safety tax which would yield $15 million. Both were recommendations of the IMPD Staffing Study Commission.
“I feel like everything is on the table at this point and we’ll move forward,” said Maggie Lewis, City-County Council President.
Lewis also said the council will move forward with an additional recommendation from the IMPD Staffing Study Commission, asking groups to cover the costs of special patrols or seek revenue from groups who utilize police services but do not pay taxes.
FOP President Bill Owensby did not want to comment specifically on the mayor’s remarks, but he did tell FOX59, “The mayor has apparently a different viewpoint on crime than the experts do.”
