INDIANAPOLIS — Residents in Decatur Township, on the city’s southwest side, say they are tired of the rising crime in their community.
“We can’t go to the grocery store or get anything to eat around here. I have to ask people for a ride,” Indianapolis resident Sonya Owens said.
Owens says her car was stolen from her apartment less than a week ago.
“I always thought this was a good neighborhood and not much crime ever went on here, but I guess I was wrong,” Owens said.
Owens isn’t alone in car thefts. WRTV has reported on the increase in thefts in Kia’s and Hyundai’s in 2023.
“There has been a lot of breaking into vehicles,” Michelle Surber said.
Surber says her family has also dealt with some of the uptick in crime.
“Someone broke into my son’s car over the summer and stole his stereo system,” Surber said.
City-County Councilman Joshua Bain says he has seen an increase in reports of petty crime in the area.
“The first thing I did was reach out to the southwest district. We added the area to their ‘patrol when possible’ list,” Bain said.
IMPD says they have increased their patrols in the area.
“We do have those lower-level crimes and those can lead to other things. We must stop it now before it really gets out of hand,” Bain said.
