Hogsett Details Public Safety Plan for Downtown Indy
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Downtown Indy Inc. have announced a plan to boost recovery efforts for the downtown area. The first initiative involves a $750,000 investment to improve public safety in conjunction with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The city says the funding comes from downtown Tax Increment Financing funds approved by the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission and will be administered by the Capital Improvement Board.
“This investment will mean a bolstered public safety infrastructure day and night for Downtown,” Hogsett said in a news release. “It will mean an increased investment in non-public safety personnel to serve as wayfinders and ambassadors. It means new technology capabilities to help our law enforcement officers better access and respond in real time to illegal activity. And it comes in the form of more cleaning capacity for common areas; more homeless outreach for effective and people-first solutions.”
The funding will support a series of efforts, including increased foot and bike patrols of off-duty IMPD officers, which the city says will triple the coverage already provided by Downtown Indy Inc.
Downtown Indy Inc. will also launch a Safety Ambassador program, which will employ civilians and IMPD cadets who will assist business owners and patrons in the downtown area by serving as extra eyes and ears with direct communication to IMPD.
The city says it will create a network of more than 150 street-level cameras that will be part of IMPD’s existing B.Link program. Additional mobile cameras will be placed in crime hot spots and monitored by IMPD.
The funding will also support a partnership involving several units of IMPD to identify areas with increased homeless activity and deploy resources to help homeless individuals in downtown Indy.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates a solutions-based response as we navigate the dramatic impact that COVID-19 is having on our Downtown and community,” said Sherry Seiwert, chief executive officer of Downtown Indy Inc. “What inspires me most is the can-do attitude and resilience of Downtown business leaders large and small, along with motivated and passionate residents who seek to position Downtown for recovery and a steady and measured return to our position of strength.”
The funding effort is the result of Downtown Indy Inc’s recently-established Downtown Recovery Committee.
You can view the full press conference announcing the effort, courtesy of our partners at WISH-TV, in the video below: