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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowRepublican state Sen. Jim Merritt, who is running for mayor of Indianapolis, said he wants to take a hard stance on combating crime—something he claims Democratic incumbent Mayor Joe Hogsett has failed to do.
Merritt’s proposal, announced Wednesday morning, includes creating a metro homicide unit, encouraging police officers to “stop and question” everyone in an area where a crime occurred, conducting targeted and unannounced warrant sweeps within a two-mile radius of any murder, and implementing the “swarm” technique, which would send 10 to 15 patrol vehicles at one time to “hot spots” in the city.
He also generally called for getting police officers to be more engaged in the community.
“We must create an environment of mutual respect,” Merritt said in a written statement. “Officers should be accessible not only in times of distress, but as an integral part in the daily lives of the communities they patrol. We will also engage and include our community partners and the faith community in these efforts.”
Crime has been a key issue in the mayoral race between Merritt and Hogsett, and it’s top of mind for Indianapolis voters. According to a recent poll conducted by American Strategies for the Indy Chamber and the MIBOR Realtors Association, 41% of likely voters said crime or gun violence was the most important issue to them. For four years in a row, the city has hit new record highs for the number of homicides.
The metro homicide unit Merritt has said he would create would include officials from multiple local law enforcement agencies, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
But Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said he opposed Merritt’s plan.
“Treating our neighbors essentially as criminal suspects based on their zip code is unjust and dehumanizing,” Curry said in a statement. “There are clear ethical and constitutional concerns about such a tactic. Sen. Jim Merritt’s plan will not make residents feel safer in their neighborhoods or improve public safety. Historically, these tactics have been proven ineffective and erode trust between law enforcement officers and residents. It would undermine the significant strides public safety partners have made in building trust and ensuring the essential cooperation we need from neighbors to hold accountable those perpetuating violence in our city.”
In a press release, Merritt’s campaign said his administration would focus on the areas of highest crime.
“We know where the worst criminals operate,” Merritt said. “Criminals will not be able to hide. We will empower the officers and district detectives to aggressively pursue criminals, so that every resident feels safe.”
The swarm technique would be used “any day and at any hour without notice,” according to the release.
“Criminals will not feel bold enough to get away with the crimes they have been committing,” Merritt said. “Under a Merritt administration, criminals will know they are not welcome in our communities, and we will pursue them and take them off the streets.”
During the mayoral debate hosted by IBJ and the Indy Chamber on Thursday, Merritt also said he would bring back the position of public safety director and called for police body cameras, and better training and equipment. Those ideas were not outlined in Wednesday’s proposal, but his campaign says they have not been abandoned.
Merritt also said he would bring back the position of public safety director, but his crime prevention plan released Wednesday did not mention that specific plan. Merritt also called for police body cameras and better training and equipment during the debate.
“It is incredibly disappointing to see Sen. Merritt stand up today and pay lip service to police-community relations while promoting a ‘stop and frisk’-like strategy,” Hogsett’s campaign said in a written statement. “These plans would turn back the clock on years of progress and create a culture of fear harmful to neighborhoods and officers alike.”
City-County Councillor and Public Safety Committee Chairman Leroy Robinson said he hoped Merritt would reconsider his position.
“I am deeply troubled by the suggestion today by Senator Jim Merritt that he would abandon the community-based beat policing model that we have deployed over the last four years and embrace the kind of divisive tactics that far too often have the effect of eroding trust between the community and our brave men and women in uniform,” Robinson said in a written statement.
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Hogsett stated:
“These plans would turn back the clock on years of progress and create a culture of fear harmful to neighborhoods and officers alike.” Hogsett
Yet Hogsett has refused to walk into the neighborhoods that are suffering and he walks around with a armed security detail as well….. Hogsett you have no idea what fear Indy Neighborhoods are facing everyday and every night……
Your Administration and the approach to crime in Indy has failed, failed miserably….. That simple !
What a laugh. The “swarm” technique. You mean dog and pony show, The fact is that this is neither a financially or resource sustainable approach, nor is it the most efficient use of police resources. These “swarms” last for a few weeks and PR press conferences, then they stop. Meanwhile,the crime continues. Also, criminals are smart enough to see when police are congregating in one area—they simply take their criminal activity down the road a few blocks. It happens time and time again.
In today’s day and age of Police Reform and rising understanding of the code language of oppression it is very sad that a former federal prosecutor and current of mayor one of the largest cities in the US is so uneducated on law enforcement that he doesn’t know the difference between warrant sweeps and stop and frisk. Stop and Frisk has a long history in the US and to many people it means racism and oppression.
Why would the Mayor of Indianapolis be opposed to arresting people with active warrants? Why would the Mayor oppose an increase police officers in the area of a violent crime? We know that the chances of solving a murder are highest in the 48 hours after a crime and the likelihood of a violent response by the family and friends of the victim increase in that same time frame. Our proposals are the common sense policing the mayor has not been able to implement. Mainly because it seems he doesn’t understand basic law enforcement. If you have a warrant, you need to be arrested or surrendered to answer the warrant. If you were in the area of a violent crime you want to see more police to ensure the violence doesn’t spill out and have more victims. If the Mayor actually spent any time on the beat he would know how hamstrung good cops are and how easy the criminal element has it. There are sections of this city such as 18th and Dexter that are daily drug and weapons street fairs. These criminals are conducting their business in the street and they have no fear. Their elderly neighbors are scared to death. The children at the 2 nearby schools are afraid but not these violent criminals. Our men and women need equipped to be able to combat this activity and warrant sweeps as well as swarm policing are effective tools our Mayor doesn’t understand.
Our Law Enforcement needs to be equipped with the “full faith” of their Command and that includes the Mayor. They need those who are in charge to not only support them but to be able to do the job. They need the Brass to regularly leave their offices and to engage in day-to-day Law Enforcement functions to stay fresh and current. They need body cameras so the community can see what happened as well as the quality and character of our officers which is of the highest standards. They need to know their equipment is reliable. They need to know the training and tools they need to do the job will be available without the politics currently running through Command. Adding 146 officers in 2018 doesn’t cure the issue of officers basically living each shift from run to run instead of being able to know the neighbors. Hogsett loves to talk about the “return to beat policing.” Adjusting what areas the officers drive from on their run to run days is not true beat policing. We need more officers so that our fine Men and Women of the FOP can actually get out of their cars and establish relationships nay even friendships in their communities. This is a proven strategy to reducing youth crime, building strong information networks and above all providing safer streets. We need to return to the idea of neighborhood policing where we work and live in our city and the people in our beats are the neighbors we see when off duty. This why PAL works and other officer led initiatives. Our officers are wonderful, diverse and insightful and they need to be unleashed to be the seeds, water and fertilizer of great Law Enforcement!
Our Law Enforcement members need a Public Safety Director who has actually served on the streets and knows what needs to be done and is not concerned with the politics of keeping the mayor happy. They need the Mayor focus on caring for the city and cutting down the barriers to good law enforcement and working with the state to ensure the resources and training is always free flowing. Things like access to wages comparable to other large agencies, discounted or free higher learning, homes from the city land bank programs and personal growth opportunities are standard benefits available across the country and need to be available here as well so we can keep and attract the best of the best.
This is what being a leader who knows their community and it’s needs looks like. If you want a mayor who doesn’t understand basics of policing vote for Joe and you will end up with a city with a rapidly escalating violent crime problem like we have. This is what Mayor Joe has given us. It is what he will continue to give us. #WeDeserveBetter #ICantTrustJoeHogsett to protect our community and to equip our public safety members with everything they need to fulfill their mission.