Republican mayoral candidate State Sen. Jim Merritt announced Thursday he will ask former IMPD deputy chief, and Democrat, Bill Benjamin to serve as police chief under his administration.

The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, CHIP, gave the candidates five questions -- including how they would address racial disparity in the barriers to housing.

Three Indianapolis mayoral candidates participated in a public forum on the city's neighborhoods. When asked how they would improve commuter traffic on the city's northeast side, each candidate had a different solution.

The group presented the mayoral candidates with desired changes in education, public safety and economic policy.

Democratic incumbent Joe Hogsett and Republican challenger Jim Merritt's first face to face mayoral debate focused on fighting poverty and raising the minimum wage.

Merritt says as mayor he would work to provide tax incentives or subsidies to local food markets in areas with food insecurity.

In a press conference, Republican Candidate for Indianapolis Mayor Jim Merritt proposed solutions to Mayor Joe Hogsetts transformed housing plan, which aimed to repair, transform, or demolish 2,000 of the estimated 14,000 vacant homes in Indianapolis.

Its called the 'SOS' plan, which stands for the three things Merritt says he'll focus on to address crime in the city: Safety, Opportunity, and Streets.

Today Republican mayoral candidate Jim Merritt announced his plans to end food insecurity in Indianapolis through four initiatives.

The state attorney general's office invested $500,000 to help Ten Point expand about a year ago, and now the group says its expansion into the far east side helped reduce violent crime.