INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police have responded to a record number of homicides in first six months of this year, with Mayor Joe Hogsett calling public safety "the city's number one priority."
During a news conference Thursday morning Hogsett said, "Make no mistake we are clear-eyed about the challenges we face," noting violent crime is on the rise in cities across the country.
The mayor and members of IMPD's top brass laid out in detail crime data from Jan 1 through June 30. While overall crime is down slightly from the same period last year, criminal homicides and non-fatal shootings are up significantly.
Part of the news conference involved laying out what IMPD has done to address the spike, from using violence reduction teams and body-worn cameras to putting more officers on the streets.
"Any suggestion that IMPD officers are not out working and doing the best job can to remove violent criminals from street is just a false narrative," said IMPD Asst. Chief Chris Bailey.
But the mayor said much more needs to be done to combat violent crime, along with added dollars to fund it.
The news conference comes just days before the mayor presents his 2022 budget proposal to the City-County Council. While he didn't share any details, he said, "I'll be the first to tell you we need more than we currently have funded and that's what we'll talk about Monday evening."
He'll also outline how he'd like to see the city use the $419 million it's getting through the American Rescue Plan, a federal allocation that must be used by 2025.
"We want to see a decrease in gun violence," Hogsett said. "I hope it's not incremental. I hope it's substantial."
The mayor's spending plans need approval from the City-County Council, where Democrats have a super-majority.
Paul Annee, one of the five Republicans on the council and minority whip, attended Thursday's news conference and was not impressed.
"Last month was the most violent month in the history of Indianapolis and this year is going to be most violent year in history of the city and we have not heard any new solutions. I think that's a lack of leadership," Annee said.
The mayor is scheduled to present his proposed budget to the council Monday night starting at 7:00.