Indianapolis, IN
Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana General Assembly returned to session Monday, and one bill filed by an Indianapolis Republican aims to address crime in downtown Indianapolis. The bill would allow for the state to step in to address violent crime in the downtown area.
“We have had people from Sweden who were killed that were in the military,” State Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said. “We’ve had hotels shot up from outside. People killed on the street, especially on the canal. It’s a beautiful place, but people are scared.”
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Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown
Young filed Senate Bill 145, which would give the governor authority to provide adequate law enforcement services within downtown starting in 2027. Young said he would first try to negotiate with the mayor, but if no agreement is reached, Indiana State Police would assume all law enforcement services within the district. The district would include the Mile Square, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Military Park, American Legion Mall, the U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial and related facilities such as parking lots.
“Now we are not doing this as a state on the taxpayers’ dime. Since the city won’t be paying as much, they have law enforcement duties. We are going to use some of the tax dollars that the state would send to Indianapolis, and we will hold those back for the cost we have. And hopefully it will be even cheaper,” Young said.
The bill would also allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes committed downtown, taking that authority from the Marion County prosecutor.
Photo Courtesy: Downtown Indianapolis Inc.
WRTV reached out to several downtown organizations, the city and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The Downtown Indy Alliance was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement:
“Public safety is critical to the continued success and vibrancy of Downtown, and we believe this work is best accomplished when partners are working collaboratively. Over the last several years, we have seen great strides in increased cooperation and communication, thanks in part to the work of the Marion County Crime Reduction Board, as well as the leadership of state and local law enforcement officers.
The results of such efforts are clear — in December, IMPD reported that violent crime was down nearly 8% and overall crime down more than 9% in the Downtown District. As conversations continue at the Statehouse, our focus remains on supporting collaboration and data-driven strategies that contribute to a safe and welcoming Downtown for residents, workers, and employers.”
The mayor’s office also issued a statement:
“This is not the first time we’ve seen an extreme proposal pointed at Indianapolis. And while the City is always happy to collaborate with the Governor and the State to improve Indianapolis, the notion that the State would take over public safety responsibilities Downtown is a step too far.”
WRTV/ Otis Jones
IMPD said they will follow the legislation closely and continue to operate as usual. Young said the proposal reflects what constituents want.
“They want to be safe when they come to our capital city and downtown,” Young said.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond before our deadline. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law, where it awaits a hearing.
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INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.
IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”
IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.
“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”
Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.
Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.
Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.
Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.
Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.
Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.
“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”
INDIANAPOLIS — One person died in a shooting on Indy’s near south side on Saturday evening.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 2300 block of S. Pennsylvania Street at approximately 9:45 p.m. on report of a shooting. This is a residential area located near Raymond Street and Madison Avenue.
Officers reported finding an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound outside a residence. The victim was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, but later was pronounced deceased.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office has not released the deceased’s name at this time.
Police ask anyone with information about this shooting to contact Detective Kristina Friel at the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail the detective at Kristina.Friel@indy.gov. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.
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