INDIANAPOLIS — Three people were shot on the canal in downtown Indianapolis on the Fourth of July. However, IMPD says crime in the area is down.
“We are showing some improvement. There are less incidents down on the canal,” IMPD Sergeant Genae Cook said.
IMPD says the Fourth of July shooting is the first one to happen on the canal all summer. They are crediting investments made by the mayor’s office for this improvement.
The city invested $357,000 to make a safety upgrade specifically for the canal — something people who live along the canal feel is working.
“For me, personally, it’s been safer,” Jeff Ryans said.
Ryans has lived on the canal for three years.
“I feel safe coming down here. I don’t come down as much during the night because of the past. I think what they’ve done has been working so far to calm things down a bit,” Ryans said.
Those safety improvements included upgraded LED lighting, two new security cameras and an expanded surveillance camera system, known as B-Link Network. Plus, officers are patrolling the area more often.
“Police officers were able to respond to that incident prior to the first 911 call based on the technology we are using,” Cook said in reference to the July 4 shooting.
IMPD says they currently have about a dozen cameras placed along the canal. Many people who live on the canal feel the increase in cameras helps deter crime.
“I think that helps a lot,” Mary Kenny, who has lived on the canal for 20-years, said. “I'm really happy to see surveillance. I think it's a very good idea. I think they did a nice job with the bridges too. It was always dark under the bridges, and they light them in an attractive way. "
Many residents say they feel safe during the day but won’t walk on the canal at night because that is when issues arise.
"We just don't go out at night in general,” Kenny said. “Actually, I think there are many dangerous places in the city and everywhere else."
This is why IMPD says it’s important that people in the community communicate with them, especially if they have witnessed a crime.
“If you see something, especially late at night, call the police,” Cook said. “Let us know what you see. Let us know what you hear. Maybe we can observe it. Maybe it's something and maybe it's nothing. I'd rather check on something that was nothing then not check on it, and it ends up being something. "
IMPD says it does not have any data on how much crime has decreased on the canal, but they say they have noticed a decrease in criminal activity there.
