Downtown Indianapolis is growing, and crime and safety issues are growing with it.
The city says 25,000 people now live in downtown, and 200,000 work there. This year, an estimated 26 million people will visit the area. But police say the number of officers they can dedicate to downtown hasn't kept pace.
"We've lost some officers," said IMPD Capt. Phil Burton. "Hopefully, with this new recruit class we'll get some more officers. But that's not enough, given the dynamics down here."
According to IMPD, violent crime, including rapes, robberies and assaults, has increased significantly.
Property crime has also seen a double-digit increase. Year-to-date, violent crime downtown has increased by 43 percent. Property crime has increased by nearly half.
Barbara Goulet has lived downtown for the past 11 years. She says anyone who lives downtown has to know the risks and know how to minimize them.
"We make sure that our home is protected with security," Goulet said.
For now, the biggest issue downtown is theft, particularly from vehicles. Police have taken nearly 1,100 reports in just the first eight months of the year.
Police said it's likely in the next three years the number of officers will fall even further behind. Over that time period, another 5,000 residents are expected to move into the downtown area.
