INDIANAPOLIS — As Indianapolis works to prevent another record year for homicides, we're getting a look at how some of IMPD's new programs are working.
Last April, the department created teams and task forces to tackle the growing number of shootings in our city.
Their focus included targeting people at the root of the ongoing violence.
"If we go after those offenders that are the most impactful in the neighborhood that are the top crime contributors, the guns come along with that," said Capt. Brady Ball, coordinator of the department's Enhanced Community Safety Initiative.
Since last April, violence reduction teams seized more than 1,200 guns, made more than 2,100 arrests and caught 167 violent felons, according to IMPD.
For the first year of those efforts, IMPD considers the results both surprising and promising.
"We're starting to see the fruits of these officers' labors in the districts," Brady said. "If you look at the numbers, we're seeing that decrease. We're seeing homicides and nonfatal shootings go down."
But IMPD says the department still has a lot of work to do, such as improving relations with the communities they serve.
"There were times when we were told, years ago by different administrations, to go saturate a neighborhood and zero tolerance, and just go and lock people up, because the neighborhood's a problem," said Brady. "But we've evolved. When our officers are talking to somebody on the street, we want to see them communicate better and not be afraid to do that because the community wants to know what's going on."
IMPD also hopes to partner more with anti-violence community groups in the next few months, and find new ways to coordinate their efforts.
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