Local police have made a strong commitment to working with residents to fight crime using a team approach.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and city leaders have also asked for assistance in creating a structure where citizens can help fight crime by stepping up as leaders in new community positions.
“It’s about finding the underlying causes of crime and how that can be impacted by the police and the community,” said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “Working together, we can get a lot more accomplished.”
Available positions include a coordinator that will facilitate communication between police and the neighborhoods they serve, as well as people to serve as part of District Councils set up in IMPD’s six districts.
Also needed are four individuals to contribute as Indy “Peacemakers,” or people to conduct street level outreach.
Any resident of Indianapolis can sign up for these positions. No law enforcement experience or any other particular skills are required. All that is needed is for the applicant to have a desire to make the city safer for their family and neighbors.
Even people who do not want to be in a formal position and just want to do what they can to help by attending district council meetings would be appreciated.
Roach said IMPD is dedicated to building more trust between the department and the community. City officials want to develop an organized working relationship with residents where police are not telling them what to do, but instead taking suggestions from residents who know more details about certain neighborhoods than police.
“We want people to take ownership of their neighborhoods and we understand that they do not want us to dictate what it is that they do,” Roach said.
He added that having more neighborhood involvement through the district councils and neighborhood coordinators is also helpful when it comes to sharing information with residents.
“Even with the best intentions, a message from the police is different than a message from a community member,” Roach said.
This approach also provides non-police points of contact where people can share what they may know about specific crimes or high-risk areas without concern about any law enforcement action being taken against them.
Perhaps most importantly, Roach said, steps can be taken not only to remove criminals off the streets but also to get resources to families and individuals who are at risk for committing criminal acts due to severe needs.
IMPD’s invitation for community members to step forward is a follow up to Mayor Joe Hogsett’s December announcement of a bold new plan to reduce the city’s homicide rate, which has increased or remained steady since 2012.
Basically, that plan calls for expansion of the beat system of community policing, making it more difficult for illegally armed felons to obtain and keep illegal guns and obtaining more funding for organizations that have been active in preventing crime and providing social services to keep people in need from turning to crime.
Sgt. Matthew Steward, a veteran IMPD officer involved with strategic initiatives and criminal investigations, believes the department’s new approach will lead to more trust between it and the community. At the same time, he noted, it can proactively stop tragedies such as homicides and even police action shootings before they occur.
“One of the things we have learned from the events in Ferguson and across the country is that you can’t wait until you have a crisis in your community,” Stewart said. “You have to get out and engage people ahead of time because after a crisis occurs, they don’t really want to talk to you at that point.”
Lt. Karen Arnett, of IMPD’s investigation’s unit, said Roach and the department are equally committed to its law enforcement work as well as helping to enhance the quality of life for the people that it serves.
“We want the community’s voice to be a part of what we’re doing and we are ready to keep the lines of communication open,” she said
Arnett added that IMPD hopes to develop close cooperation with the community by participating in a series of public meetings where residents can share ideas and express their thoughts about plans police have for their specific area. Roach and Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry will appear at the first of those meetings, which will be held on Jan. 30 at Apostolic Christian Church, 1532 Standish Ave., starting at 6:30 p.m.
Brian Reeder, former IMPD Chief of Staff, is now involved in the department’s current outreach effort. He noted that the focus on communication came into place after many residents expressed that they felt they were not being served but being policed.
Part of this whole initiative is to empower those communities to look at those particular procedures and tactics that are being used in their community,” Reeder said. “Working together is the key so that individuals that live in the community don’t feel that they are being oppressed.”
Prior to being IMPD’s chief of staff, Reeder directed the office that dealt with citizen complaints for 24 years. He noted that a majority of those complaints stemmed from lack of communication between citizens and police, especially during traffic stops.
“This is an opportunity for people to receive information from the department but also have a ‘buy in’ into what is going to happen in their communities,” said Reeder. “Instead of oppression and the police coming in and telling people what to do, it is a coordinated effort between the community and police to understand tactics that are being taken to eliminate crime.”
“It’s about finding the underlying causes of crime and how that can be impacted by the police and the community.” – Chief Bryan Roach
