INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve announced his plans to keep residents safe on Thursday.
The Republican candidate is running against current Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett.
“Crime is rampant in Indianapolis, and it calls for a systemic change. Just last month, three people were murdered here in Broad Ripple,” Shreve said.
This is Shreve’s plan:
- Appoint a public safety director who will start on the first day of the Shreve administration.
- Hire 300 IMPD officers to fill all budgeted positions and ensure they have the training and support to do their jobs.
- Implement an aggressive strategy to combat gun violence.
- Get serious about getting violent offenders off Indianapolis streets.
- Address root-cause issues of crime, including more mental health resources.
- Hold people accountable.
Shreve also wants to establish gun control ordinances, including raising the age to purchase a firearm to 21, banning assault weapons and repealing permitless carry.
They are the same restrictions Hogsett announced in May and that the City-County Council approved on Monday.
However, the restriction can’t be enforced yet because they violate state law.
Shreve believes he can work with the state legislature to give Indianapolis responsibility for setting its own policy on firearms.
“This will be a part of my legislative priorities that I take before our general assembly at the start of the session, in year one of the Shreve administration. Not a political talking point that is rolled out a couple of weeks after the long session has sunset for the year,” he said.
Hogsett’s campaign manager issued the following statement Thursday:
"We had been looking forward to a debate over Jefferson's public safety plans, but unfortunately we are still waiting for him to announce any. Today's speech was a hodgepodge of repackaged programs that already exist and meaningless platitudes. And when it comes to Jefferson's relationship with the gun lobby, he was either misleading them in 2016 to get the NRA’s highest grade, or he’s misleading us now. Either way, he’s willing to say or do anything to get elected. These are serious issues, but this is not a serious set of policies."