INDIANAPOLIS — A change in leadership is coming to IMPD.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor is stepping down at the end of the year after four years as chief of the department.
Taylor became IMPD's chief on Dec. 31, 2019. In a video and statement released Friday afternoon, Taylor said he did not make the decision lightly, but after much prayer.
"As the year draws to a close, I wanted to let you know, so does my term as your police chief," Taylor said in a video, announcing he was stepping down as chief.
Taylor also said Mayor Joe Hogsett helped bring him his answer.
"He decided he was gonna go a little different route probably come the beginning of the year," Taylor said. "I have no animosity toward the mayor. I consider him a good man and a friend."
Taylor said he has been with the department for 30 years and had been in law enforcement for a total of 36 years. He also said he is not ready to be done serving.
"I'm not leaving the department. I'm gonna be around for at least another year-and-a-half, God willing, just working in a different capacity," Taylor said. "Hopefully something to do with helping out victims' families."
The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis called it a step in the right direction.
"If seems like new policing is, you shoot first and ask questions later," said Pastor Wayne Moore, president of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance.
Moore and the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis had called for Taylor's resignation earlier this year in the wake of a record number of police-involved shootings. So far this year, there have been 18.
"We need to address the violence where we're all safer. Officers go home, community members are safe," said Rev. David Greene, president of Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis.
They also criticized Taylor for not speaking in-person in front of state lawmakers when they considered a permitless carry bill in the 2022 legislative session. The bill later became law, allowing people 18 and older to carry a gun without a permit if they don't have a criminal record preventing them from doing so.
"We need a chief that will go to the Statehouse and say, 'This will not be good for our city because here's what's going on in the city I serve as a police officer,'" Greene said.
Officers and representatives from the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police and Indiana State Police were there and testified against the bill.
"He was not a community chief. He was an administrative chief," Moore said.
Rev. Charles Harrison, with the Indy Ten Point Coalition — an organization Harrison founded more than 20 years ago to help reduce crime in Indianapolis — said he'll miss Taylor's leadership.
"The community knows him very well," Harrison said of Taylor. "I'm sad he decided to step down, and I think he's going to be missed in the community in that particular role as chief."
When it comes to who comes next, "I think it needs to be someone who is very community-focused and works well with grassroots organizations, neighborhood associations and faith-based groups," Harrison said. "I think if we're going to tackle this violence problem, it has to be a collaborative effort. I think someone who's experienced at fighting crime, that has to be one of the criteria we look at."
The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis hopes a decision isn't made too quickly and that it involves a search committee made up of community members and law enforcement.
"Is the community going to be a part of that, or is it going to be, 'Take this and swallow and follow it?'" Moore asked.
While both sides disagree on Taylor's performance as chief, they share the same opinion when it comes to the violence in the city.
"For most people in our community, people don't feel safe," Greene said.
"We have a problem," Harrison said.
Community leaders react
Hogsett issued a statement on Taylor's announcement.
"Chief Randal Taylor is a trailblazer, and his nearly thirty years of service to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is a testament to his character, commitment to public service, and drive to make Indianapolis a safer city. In his time as Chief, IMPD has seen the largest reduction in homicides in department history and has placed community relations and transparency at the forefront. I thank Randy for his service to the people of this great city, and I wish him the best in this next chapter.”
The Indianapolis FOP released the following statement about Taylor's announcement:
“We learned today of the transition of the Chief of Police for IMPD. We are grateful to Chief Randy Taylor for his many years of service to the Indianapolis and Marion County community. Chief Taylor truly cares for the well-being of our officers and their families. His years as Chief were during some of the toughest challenges our capital city has faced. We thank him for his leadership and for the sacrifices made by his family.
As the page is turned by Mayor Joe Hogsett, we look forward to learning of his next steps as Indianapolis completes the fourth consecutive year of record levels of violence with officer retention being critical as we enter 2024.
Morale matters…”
Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili issued this statement Friday evening:
"I have tremendous respect for Chief Randal Taylor and his almost 30 years of dedicated service to our city. He guided IMPD through some of the most difficult times our city has ever seen. His desire to continue serving this community is a great reflection of the committed public servant Chief Taylor has always been."
Taylor first came to Indianapolis in 1993 to serve in the Marion County Sheriff's Department.
He joined IMPD in 2007, when the Indianapolis Police Department and sheriff's department merged.
In 2016, he was named the assistant chief of investigations.
The next year, he became the department's sole assistant chief and focused on community relations.
Taylor was named chief — almost exactly 4 years ago — on Dec. 31, 2019.