INDIANAPOLIS – We're learning more on concerns about your safety from the city's top cop.
Right now, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) is hoping to avoid another deadly summer as it investigates new homicides this week.
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With warmer weather, Chief Troy Riggs says the 7-month period starting on June 1, 2015, turned into the most violent stretch in the history of the city.
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That’s why June 1 is such a symbolic date for Riggs.
“We’re extremely concerned – warmer weather, summer months, the history of last year – the amount of shootings we’re seeing roll over to this year is a big concern,” Chief Riggs said. “That’s why it was so important to get more officers on the street, more officers focused – using data to a level we haven’t done before, and you are going to see more and more of that evolve over this year into next year as well.”
Leading into June 1 of last year, the city’s homicide count – 42 – was roughly 30-percent below average.
Then, after June 1 came 103 more through the end of the year, which is a record stretch.
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This year IMPD’s investigations stand at 53 homicides, which Chief Riggs calls slightly above average.
The chief says there is no overnight fix: Underlying issues like mental health and poverty take time to correct.
But he says IMPD is now taking a different tack, and it should work.
“(We are) not going in and doing mass arrests like some cities have done,” Chief Riggs said. “But (we’re) going into communities (and) getting to know residents… Working with community members.”
We also asked him how confident he is we will see a safer summer.
Watch our video in the player above for his answer.
