The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Monday held a public meeting on the far east side, outlining the department’s initiative to retrieve and investigate illegally acquired guns in 2018.
IMPD officials say they confiscated 3,500 illegally possessed guns last year, and 2,800 of them were connected with a crime.
Police say making that connection, which investigators are doing with new database software called NIBIN, can be crucial in finding leads and solving crimes.
DeAndra Yates is a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She spoke at the event about a crime that remains unsolved – four years ago her 13-year-old son was shot in the head at a birthday party, leaving him quadriplegic and nonverbal.
“There are some times where I feel like I have lost hope in our justice system because my case has been unsolved for so long, and I meet so many other mothers who feel like they are losing that same hope," Yates says. "I’m really grateful today for the stats that I see, for the efforts that are improving.”
IMPD officials say a number of programs, some formed through partnerships with district and federal agencies, are aimed at fighting the root causes of violent crime.
Next month's stewardship report will focus on community resources.
