INDIANAPOLIS – Both candidates for Indianapolis mayor have been campaigning nonstop to be the leader of the largest city in the state. From T.V. adds to in person events. Each are sharing their message with voters.
Public Safety
One big difference between the two is their intent to hire a public safety director. That position is one that current Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration eliminated when he was first elected eight years ago.
"The results are clear it's not working,” Jefferson Shreve the republican candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis said. “The job is too big, and a Shreve administration will bring back that top shelf talent. That will be the most important hire or at least one of the most important hires right out of the gate for a Shreve administration. "
However, Hogsett stands behind his decision to eliminate the position. He says that firefighters and police officers expressed frustration to him back in 2015 about the position. He tells WRTV that they felt it was a level of bureaucracy that got in the way of them communicating with the mayor.
"Historically the public safety director was viewed by many as the person that would get the blame,” Current Indianapolis Mayor Democrat Joe Hogsett said. “In other words, the public safety director role was to defer or deflect, I should say, public safety issues away from the mayor. I am the mayor, and I am responsible."
Public safety has been a big concern for Indy voters, though IMPD numbers show there have been 156 criminal homicides this year and 39 non-criminal homicides. They say that’s down more than 17 percent from this time in 2022. While Hogsett isn't celebrating the decline in criminal homicides, he says the numbers are trending in the right direction.
"We would have to have an enormous number of homicides to get to 200 this year,” Hogsett said. “I am absolutely focused like a laser on reducing that number even further over the course of the remaining month and a half of this year."
However, Shreve feels more can be done, and that a public safety director could help tremendously. While he admits there will be challenges, he thinks that the biggest issue facing the city is a lack of leadership.
"We've got to reign in the violence that we have in Indianapolis both downtown and beyond and turn this around,” Shreve said. “I will work hand in hand with a public safety director to get that done along with our police administration and the men and women on the streets, but we need more men and women in our department to help solve that crisis."
Infrastructure
Another concern of Indy residents is infrastructure. From potholes to safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Both are focused on bettering our streets for bystanders and drivers. However, they have different ideas of how to do so. Shreve has said there has to be a balanced approach. He doesn’t want to see more bike lanes and slower traffic deter people from coming downtown. But he doesn’t agree with the Indiana General assembly’s decision to blockthe city from making decisions on where to place no turn on red designations.
"I feel like the general assembly has overstepped,” Shreve said. “The councilor ought to be able to put forward an ordinance for say a no right turn on red. They are closest to the citizens, and they know the microcosms kind of portion of the city that they are trying to advocate for and protect. "
Hogsett says he has been working to make pedestrian heavy areas safer. He has invested in bike lanes and more cross walks in schoolzones. He feel slowing traffic down is better for both drivers, pedestrians and bicyclist.
"Slowing traffic down, I think that is a good thing for drivers and for pedestrians,” Hogsett said. “That's why we are making an unprecedented level of investment in one-way streets being turned in to two way streets."
Neither candidate was endorsed by the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police. The last two times current mayor Joe Hogsett ran he was endorsed by the FOP. He said he was disappointed to learn they weren’t endorsing him but that he isn't concerned about his relationship with them.
“The fact that they decided to sit the race out I kind of consider that six of one half a dozen of the other,” Hogsett said. “I was endorsed by the fire fighters. I did receive the endorsement of the realtors, I did receive the endorsement of the Indy Chamber. Many other organizations have taken the time to endorse me. I would have been honored to be endorsed for a third consecutive term by the FOP, it doesn’t change our relationship.”
Jefferson Shreve wasn't endorsed by the organization either, but he feels it is more telling that the incumbent didn’t receive the endorsement.
“From my ride a longs and conversations with the men and women of IMPD it has been consistently supportive,” Shreve said. “I don’t think it’s broken. I want grow and strengthen the relationship.”
