INDIANAPOLIS — Violent crime is down significantly in Indianapolis this year, but remains higher than it was before the pandemic. It's progress that city leaders are happy to see, while remaining focused on efforts to further reduce the violent crime that has been plaguing the city.
New data from IMPD shows things are getting better. Intentional homicides are down 20% from last year. If you include accidents, homicides are down 18%. Nonfatal shootings are down, too. The data shows nonfatal shootings have dropped by nearly 12% from last year.
Still, all these numbers are higher than they were in 2019.
Nonfatal shootings are up 37% from 2019 and, so far in 2022, Indianapolis is averaging two people shot every day.
So, while the drop in violence compared to last year is welcome news, those championing change in the city say there's still more to do.
The Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition is one of those groups working to reduce violence and homicides by engaging with the community, promoting education and helping foster employment opportunities for people throughout the city.
Rev. Charles Harrison with the TenPoint Coalition said recent progress to combat violence has been uneven.
"People will let you know whether or not they're feeling safe in a particular area where they are. When people don't feel safe there are more conversations about what's going on, who may be involved in the violence in the neighborhood and, I would say, we have heard less of that," Harrison said.
He went on to say that some areas have seen significant drops in crime, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
It's work that police agencies say they've been dedicated to, especially over the last year when central Indiana police agencies came together for a new approach to tackling violent crime.
In July 2021, the Indianapolis Crime Gun Intelligence Center officially became a regional task force now known as the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). It was funded in 2021 with $10 million for operating costs over two years in the state budget.
The task force gave a recap Tuesday where they announced that, in their first year of being established, they tracked down hundreds of guns used in crimes and arrested hundreds of shooting suspects.
“After a year with a new regional focus, the ICGTF has led to the removal of hundreds of guns used or trafficked illegally in our community,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “In Indianapolis alone, we have seen a corresponding dip in shootings and the largest decline in homicides in more than a decade.”
From July 1, 2021, to present, the task force has:
- Seized 369 firearms
- About 95% of all firearms seized are eligible for the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which helps determine if the gun was used in other crimes.
- Arrested 397 people