Indianapolis, IN

IMPD leaders seek community and officer input to form strategic plan

Published

11 months ago

April 10, 2025

IMPD leaders seek community and officer input to form strategic plan

After merging the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to become IMPD in 2007, nearly 20 years later, Chief Chris Bailey said he doesn’t think the department created an identity with the merge. One of his goals is to have a clear vision and wants officers and community members alike to help.

He and other department leaders are asking for input from the community via a short, anonymous survey for a strategic plan for the future. The department has already reached out to its rank-and-file to get their thoughts.

“I want to speak directly to our officers. I’ve heard you say you feel unheard by your leadership,” Bailey said during a press conference Thursday. “This is your opportunity to speak up and have a voice. Your experience, ideas and frontline perspectives are essential to shaping the department’s future.”

Bailey said the department tried a strategic plan in 2019, but COVID impeded those objectives, and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police changed the focus of the department with racial reform.

This strategic plan will serve as a guiding document for the next five years, helping IMPD remain adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of the community and its officers, the department announced.

Officers, professional staff, and community input are essential

Sworn officers and professional staff will have multiple opportunities to contribute their ideas and perspectives on enhancing the department, according to a news release on the plan.

The anonymous surveyfor residents focused on getting feedback on what they want from their police department in the coming years. The survey can be found online at indy.gov/activity/impd-strategic-plan.

Collaborating with Taylor Advising on the process

To keep the approach neutral, the department has partnered with Taylor Advising, a local woman-owned business that specializes in expert consulting services with equity at the forefront. Taylor Advising will facilitate conversations with officers, professional staff, major stakeholders and community members to gather input.

As an objective voice, Taylor Advising will assist in compiling key insights to develop a plan that reflects the community, officers and professional staff, the department said.

IMPD’s 5-year strategic plan

According to the department, this plan will establish a “clear vision, set meaningful goals, and create a roadmap that strengthens both public safety services and internal operations while addressing the needs of officers, professional staff, and the Indianapolis community.”

In the coming months, Taylor Advising said it will host public listening sessions, and we will share details once they are confirmed.

A timeline of this strategic plan

The anticipated timeline for the strategic plan development is as follows:

April 2025: Taylor Advising to begin department and community input collection.
June 2025: All input collection will close.
November 2025: A first draft of the strategic plan will be made available for public review and comment.
January 2026: IMPD will announce and implement the final strategic plan.

Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

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Indianapolis, IN

Highlights: Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter; February 27, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Highlights: Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter; February 27, 2026

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “The Zone” featured highlights from eight high school boys basketball games from across central Indiana on Friday.

Watch highlights of Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter above.

Final Score: Tri-West 65 Cardinal Ritter 62

“The Zone” airs each Friday at 11:08 p.m. Click here to watch ‘The Zone’ for basketball highlights on February 27, 2026.

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Indianapolis, IN

New bridge over 96th Street adds to Nickel Plate Trail connections

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

New bridge over 96th Street adds to Nickel Plate Trail connections

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — The Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge over 96th Street is officially open.

It was being touted Friday as a major milestone for central Indiana’s growing trail system. The street is the Fishers-Indianapolis border.

Leaders called the project a critical connection point for the Nickel Plate Trail. The new bridge helps move the nearly 17-mile trail closer to its goal of connecting multiple counties through one continuous path.

The bridge also came with a 1.3-mile trail extension. A $4.5 million grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources made the bridge possible.

Dale Brier, deputy director of Indiana Department of Natural Resources, talked about the state’s Next Level Trails grant program. “Currently, we have 89 trail projects that that were funded with that money. Fifty-nine of those are complete. We’ve got 12 under construction. As of this opening, we have 167 miles of trail that have now been opened with that grant money.”

People who frequently take the trail for their daily exercises say they’re excited the bridge is finally open.

Alan Errichiello of the Fishers Running Club said, “Extending this down south into Indianapolis is a big game changer for us. It’ll add a lot of miles that we can easily get into.”

Resident Tracy Mundell said, “Trying to get to the other side was nearly impossible, so I think most people didn’t even attempt it. It’s going to be great, we can get over to the other side, and I’m anxious to see what’s over there.”

The final portion of the project, called the Clear Path project, remains under construction.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, said, “We need to double-down on that investment, and we know time and time again here in the city of Fishers that trail systems, the ability to get up and get out and get active, is such an important part in our culture of health, that an investment like this is critical.”

Once complete, local leaders say the goal is to provide a more safe and connected routes between Noblesville, Fishers, Indianapolis and other surrounding cities.

Resident Steve Mundell said, “It’s lovely. It’ll be real convenient to get across too.”

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Indianapolis, IN

Good and bad from Colts’ 2026 NFLPA report card grades

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Good and bad from Colts’ 2026 NFLPA report card grades

What grades did the Indianapolis Colts earn on the 2026 NFLPA report cards?

The NFLPA is no longer able to make their annual report cards public. However, ESPN’s Kayln Kahler was able to obtain a copy of the reports following the 2025 NFL season, and the Indianapolis Colts were again around the middle of the pack.

In these report cards, players rate numerous aspects of the organizations they play for, from ownership to the training facilities and everything in between. According to Kahler, 1,759 players contributed to these grades.

So, where did the Colts end up this year relative to the rest of the NFL this year?

Overall, the Colts ranked 17th. Below is a breakdown of each individual grade they received.

Treatment of Families: B
Home Game Field: D
Food/Dining Area: B
Nutritionist/Dietician: A-
Locker Room: C+
Training Room: B
Training Staff: B+
Weight Room: B
Strength Coaches: A
Position Coaches: B
Offensive Coordinator: B
Defensive Coordinator: B+
Special Teams Coordinator: B+
Team Travel: B-
Head Coach: A-
General Manager: A
Team Ownership: A

Of note, although the Colts haven’t been to the postseason in five years, Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard both received high marks.

Carlie Irsay Gordon, Kalen Jackson, and Casey Foyt earned an A in their first year as the primary owners.

The field at Lucas Oil Stadium received a very low mark, earning a D, while the locker room was given a C+. Those were the two lowest grades the Colts received.

Compared to the 2025 rankings, the Colts moved up two spots this year, after coming in at 19th last year.

The biggest jumps the Colts experienced came in the Food/Dining grade, which went from a C to a B. The Team travel grade also jumped from a D+ to a B-.

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