Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis leaders credit reduced total of homicides in 2022, 2023 to gun strategy
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis government leaders on Thursday touted a 31% decrease in the number of criminal homicides in the city over the last two years.
Democrat Mayor Joe Hogsett said the decrease is due in part to the successes of the city’s three-year plan to reduce gun violence. “Those statistics mean, in real terms, equates to 81 lives having been saved,” he said.
During the same two years, the city noted a 20% decrease in the number of nonfatal shootings.
The leaders cited a strategy to reduce gun violence that was funded with $150 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, federal money set aside for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The money was spent on new police technology and more officers, and shared with grassroots violence-prevention organizations.
The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform say a part of the city’s plan that has worked the best was focusing on preventing retaliation shootings. Every week, police analyze the people who are most likely to retaliate to a previous shooting.
David Muhammad, director of the institute, said, “Some of those individuals identified will have focused enforcement on them. I mentioned the 100 officers who are focused on this. Some of them (the individuals) haven’t done anything illegal but are making threats to retaliate for their friends’ shooting online, and they have the risk factors that say they might actually retaliate.”
When people haven’t committed a crime but threaten retaliation, the Indy Peace Fellowship steps in with on-the-street “peacemakers” funded through the plan.
Muhammad said, “The level of finding those individuals, engaging them, and getting them to agree to be in this fellowship to have a life coach for the next six, 12, 18 months that has been particularly successful.”
Outside of this plan, Hogsett said the community as a whole also deserves credit. “They are stepping up to provide jobs, mentorships, education, and other resources that contribute to that No. 1 crime deterrent: prosperity.”
While the decrease is good, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department leader thinks there is still a long way to go. Chief Randal Taylor said, “We know that really our work is far from over. We’re going to have to really look at our youth violence. We’re going to have to look at how many children have access to firearms and how do we deal with that.”
The American Rescue Plan Act funding has dried up for the strategy, but the mayor says his office will work with the City-County Council to get more funding it in the years to come.
Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr
Elizabeth Gabriel, Mirror Indy
(MIRROR INDY) — The Garfield Park Conservatory will host multiple family-friendly events throughout June. The events include plant shows, kid’s story time and Dollar Menu Night, which allows residents to harvest and eat veggies from a community garden.
Events at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Drive, range in price and some require advance registration.
The Indianapolis Bonsai Club will have displays and answer questions about a variety of bonsai. Vendors will have items for purchase.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6, 1-5 p.m. June 7
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Preschoolers ages 2-5 can participate in nature-themed storytime and crafts.
🗓️ 10-11 a.m. June 9
🎟️ $6 per child
Residents of all ages can harvest and eat veggies from Blakes’ Garden. Advance registration is preferred.
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. June 10
🎟️ $1 per person
Focused on ages 2-8, participants will listen to a nature-themed story and explore Blakes’ Garden. Attendees will relocate to a classroom if there’s inclement weather.
🗓️ 10 a.m. June 12
🎟️ Free
Up to 15 neighbors ages 10 and up will learn to ferment kimchi. Registration is required.
🗓️ 1-2 p.m. June 13
🎟️ $15 per person
Kids ages 2-5 can plant and harvest crops in the Children’s Garden. Registration is required.
🗓️ 11 a.m. to noon June 24
🎟️ $6 per child
The Indiana Insectivores will display tropical and native Indiana predator plants. Plants will also be available for purchase. Those who attend the plant show will also have free entry to the Predatory Plants Presentation 1-2 p.m. June 27.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, 1-5 p.m. June 28
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Community Love Fest 2026, an initiative happening over four days, will start on Wednesday at an Indianapolis church.
The STR8UP Mentoring Foundation, touted as an Indianapolis-based nonprofit to help at-risk urban youths, aims for the event to be a safe and productive start to summer for Indianapolis youth and families.
The kickoff rally will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, 4958 Ribble Road. That’s off East 30th Street west of its intersections with Massachusetts Avenue and Emerson Avenue.
A community cleanup day will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday at 3036 N. Sherman Drive, just north of East 30th Street.
A basketball tournament and a health and resource fair will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Washington Park, 3130 E. 30th St.
STR8UP programs include educational partnerships that support students from kindergarten through young adulthood, and intramural sports to encourage teamwork and healthy competition.
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