INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis' top cop says his officers can't stop gun violence, not when people with guns are shooting at each other over arguments that are insignificant.
"We have to be better to each other,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey. “We have to be better human beings. We're better than this. We have to treat each other better."
Just the past two weekends, Indianapolis has experienced two mass shootings in and around bars where apparently heated words escalated to gunfire. Six people were shot, including a security guard who was killed on March 16 at Landsharks in Broad Ripple. On March 24, six more people were shot, including the suspect who was shot and killed by police in the parking lot outside the 11:11 Bar & Grille on East Washington Street.
The city’s top three leaders addressed the gun violence Thursday.
"If we knew when an argument was going to occur, and that one of the persons was armed and that person was going to pull the gun out and shoot another person, I would put a cop there to stop it, and the cop would voluntarily go and put themselves between that to stop it,” said Bailey. “We can't. You have to be your brother or sister's keeper."
"Too many of these disputes that we're seeing right now are simple confrontations, simple words that are being used that resort to gun violence because everybody is armed,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “And one of the challenges that we face is that it's really difficult for law enforcement, for the prosecutor's office and other individuals to be proactive with individuals who have guns."
"Our gun safety laws really don't have much of an effect,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Everybody's got a gun. And we've got to get the guns out of the hands of the people who have absolutely no business owning them or possessing them.”
Bailey stressed that despite the recent mass shootings, violent crime continues on a downward trend year-to-year in Indianapolis in all categories since record highs in 2021. He believes IMPD’s gun violence reduction strategy that has been in place for several years is working. Bailey said IMPD will continue to hold those accountable who resort to gun violence and the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force will focus their efforts on apprehending the small number of criminals who commit the majority of gun crimes.
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When it comes to youth gun violence, police say no juveniles have been killed so far in 2024 in Indianapolis. That compares to nine at this time last year. But Bailey acknowledged that more juveniles are possessing guns and experiencing the trauma of gun violence at an early age.
"Kids that feel like they have to have a gun in their neighborhood,” said Bailey. “They'd rather be caught by the police with a gun in their neighborhoods than without one. That is a societal issue that we have to fix together. The police department's not going to fix that alone. By the time that we are involved, it may be too late."
"We're very concerned about the youth, but today most victims of gun violence and most perpetrators of gun violence are aged 21 to 35,” said Hogsett. “So, while we focus on our youth, and care deeply about their safety, we're trying to protect the safety of all of Indianapolis."
Hogsett said the Office of Public Health and Safety is still in the process of hiring a coordinator on youth violence.