INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced changes to the city's public safety plan that will target gun violence in the city.
Among the main points in the mayor's plan are:
- IMPD pay increases
- Hiring three criminal attorneys to work with U.S. Attorney's Office. These attorneys will work specifically on prosecuting people with violent criminal histories in the city of Indianapolis.
- Youth programs during summer months
- Conditional gun ordinances in Indianapolis
Hogsett plans to go before the City-County Council and propose a ban on semi-automatic weapons, raising the age to purchase a gun to 21, and ending permitless and concealed carry in the city.
“If state preemption is overturned by the legislature or by the courts, there will be no delay in implementing the most basic safety measures," Hogsett said. "That is why, today, I am announcing that we will submit to our City-County Council a package of gun safety measures that, if passed, will immediately become law, should state preemption be abolished for the city of Indianapolis.”
Private parties will be able to get city resources, including metal detectors and IMPD officers, to create a gun-free zone if they choose.
Ryan Vaden, with Vaden's Firearms and Ammunition, said he's paying close attention to Hogsett's new proposed gun restrictions.
"I feel like if you can fight for this country, you should be able to sit here and purchase a rifle," he said.
Vaden said a large portion of his sales are from people ages 18-21.
"What does that do for the city when it comes to young families? A lot of people purchase semi-automatic rifles out of my store that are 19 years old or 18 to protect their families," Vaden said.
If the new ordinances go through, Vaden said he's worried it could negatively impact his sales but also create some confusion for his customers.
"We just have to look collectively and find a plan and a process that will work for the city, but also not impose on people's rights," Vaden said.
To address IMPD recruiting and retention, Hogsett proposes adding a $10,000 bonus to IMPD officers' first-year salary. He also requests veteran officers with three years of experience or more to receive a 3% one-time bonus up to $2,500.
Hogsett also said the city will be targeting nuisance properties in the city. He said the city prosecutor’s office, as well as the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, will enact policies to allow the city to penalize those maintaining nuisance properties.
“If property owners with constant gun issues fail to respond with common sense measures like adequate security and banning the possession of firearms, we will now seek to hold them liable under state nuisance law for their role in maintaining a threat to the public safety," Hogsett said.
In a statement, Republican mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve, Hogsett's opponent in this year's election, said in response to today's announcement:
“In 2015, Joe Hogsett ran as the public safety mayor. Over the past eight years, Indianapolis has reached record-breaking levels of violence and homicides. Our city is not getting safer as Mayor Hogsett says. The number of murders in 2022 is nearly double what it was when he took office, and this year is on track to be our deadliest yet.
The 'plan he released today is another one of his toothless initiatives. An election year stunt and a slap in the faces of veteran police officers. After nearly eight years, the results are in, and Mayor Hogsett has failed. It’s time for new leadership that will work in a bipartisan manner to solve our city's public safety crisis.”