Indianapolis leaders say violence reduction plan is working

Indianapolis leaders credit the city’s collaborative, community-based tactics for the 2023 dip in criminal homicides. That number dropped to 171 criminal  homicides in 2023, down nearly 19 percent from 2022, and leaders announced they will continue to invest in the $150 million dollar violence reduction plan they launched in 2021. 

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett City said the three-year violence reduction plan is working because it’s rooted in partnership.

“A safer Indianapolis is the work of our entire city, between community and law enforcement,” Hogsett said. “We can and we will continue to attack this problem through prevention and intervention.”

The funding invests in added law enforcement, technology, initiatives to address root causes of violence and mental health help. Originally the dollars came from federal relief funding, but leaders say it is now worked into the city budget.

The Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety has led efforts to add peacemakers and improve prevention for those most at risk of gun violence in communities. Grant funding for grassroots groups working in violence reduction increased to $45 million over a three year period, starting in 2022.

The city enlisted partners include the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and Executive Director David Muhammad said the community-driven work is paying off.

“When we launched this strategy in Indianapolis, the city had very little infrastructure and a small handful of staff working on community violence intervention,” Muhammad said.

Indianapolis now has 60 peacemakers and has expanded its clinician-led mental health response team.

While the number of criminal homicides dipped in 2023, youth involved violence increased. City leaders announcing the continuation of its current violence reduction initiatives said they will work to understand the root causes of that increase.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says it will examine the recent uptick in officer-involved shootings.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.