Ballard Crime Plan Includes Millions For Early Childhood Ed

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard says he is taking a holistic approach to reduce crime in the city by hiring more police and investing in early childhood education.

With the city’s murder rate on pace to hit record highs, he outlined a new plan, Wednesday, downtown.

Ballard says if the city is going to address its crime issues, it needs to get to the root of the problem.

“We, as society, can no longer keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results,” Ballard said. “Crime in American cities is a symptom of larger societal problems. My plan will address the larger issues by investing in pre-school, helping dropouts and those expelled from school, adding more police officers and stopping the revolving door of criminals who keep committing crimes and getting re-arrested in Indy.”

He is taking a three pronged approach focused on prevention, protection, and punishment.

Ballard is committing $25 million over five years to make preschool more affordable for low income families.   He says combined with state, federal, and other matching investments, ultimately $50 million will go toward early childhood education in the city by 2020.

To pay for it, the Mayor wants to eliminate the local homestead tax credit. 

"It is time for Indy to join the state and nearly every other county across Indiana by eliminating this local credit," he said.  "We can put that money to good use for our children and city as a whole."

Some of the revenue generated from its elimination also will go to public safety. 

Eliminating the homestead credit would affect about 60 percent of city homeowners who would pay almost two dollars more a month.

Ballard also says he will sign off on raising the public safety income tax which was recommended earlier this year by the police staffing commission.

He says the revenue generated will allow Indianapolis to add 280 recruits by 2018, welcomed news to IMPD Chief Rick Hite.

"Numbers mean teeth and the plan has teeth," said Hite.  "We have maximized every aspect of our budget including the creation of a new SWAT team at no additional cost to the tax payers.  We've stretched our dollars as far as we can go, so it's great to see a long term plan with funding built in so we can then talk about providing quality services to our citizens."

If both the elimination of the local homestead credit and increase of public safety tax are approved, the Mayor’s office says it will cost the average resident about seven dollars more per month.

But, not everyone is sold on Ballard’s plan.

Fraternal Order of Police President Bill Owensby says it doesn’t go far enough in resolving the police staffing situation.

"If you look back at what the Mayor has said time and time again in the past to different proposals is there has to be sustainable funding.  There is no sustainable funding here," said Owensby.  "It's a small baby step and we need to start taking giant steps in order to do proactive police work and help the business community and citizens of Indianapolis have a level of safety that they have not had for a number of years."

Ballard plans to present his proposal to the City County Council, August 18. 

The effort also calls for an 11 p.m. curfew for teens on the weekend, addressing the 1,800 students who were expelled or dropped out of school last year alone, and launching of a regional heroin initiative.

Another component is minimum mandatory sentences for those who commit crimes using a gun.

Ballard plans to lobby the state legislature to require 20 years in prison for those offenses and is committing ten million dollars for the courts, prosecutors, probation, and community corrections as part of that effort.

"We need local and federal prosecutors, judges, and the state to do a better job identifying the worst of the worst," he said. "We need to use the tools they have to keep violent offenders locked up longer by not dropping gun charges."

Council President Democrat Maggie Lewis says she is encouraged by Ballard’s proposals, but wants to make sure the plan is fiscally responsible.

Minority Leader Republican Mike McQuillen agrees and says councilors will begin vetting the plan immediately.

"Generally speaking, people are very concerned about crime and crime issues.  People I've talked to seem to be amenable to paying a little bit more in taxes to make sure we have more officers on the street and strengthen our programs," said McQuillen.  "So, it's a conversation, yet, to continue, but at this point I do see support for that very thing."

Far East Side Action Coalition President Pastor James Jackson likes the idea of investing in early childhood education and adding police, but thinks the city needs to come up with ways to find employment for young people.

"I think if you educate children, if you mentor them, but don't also make sure they have a job, we haven't solved the problem," he said.  "Along with all the education, you have to have jobs.  After we mentor kids, after we instructed them, then make sure that they can go out and put that knowledge to work."

Earlier this year the city launched the Your Life Matters initiative to help young people on the wrong path. 

Members of the task force are scheduled to deliver a report in October on how it plans to address mentoring, summer jobs programs, parental assistance and school dropout issues.

Ballard says he knows the solutions to the city’s crime problems can’t be solved overnight, but believes his new plan is the catalyst that will begin the process

"We are a city that cares about neighbors we've never met and about places we've never been," said Ballard.  "Together, we will make Indy a safer city and an even better places to live, and to work, and to raise your family."