Hogsett and Shreve debate top issues during first televised meeting

The candidates in the race for Indianapolis mayor met for their first televised debate Monday, in the first of two such events planned for this week.

The night started out with a focus on public safety in Indianapolis. The question of downtown safety came first for Mayor Joe Hogsett.

“We have a safe downtown, and generally speaking we have a safe city. Now the truth is we have a problem with guns,” Hogsett said.

Republican challenger Jefferson Shreve said he hears from many Marion County residents who don’t feel safe.

“Perception is reality, but that perception is evidenced in the reality of too much crime, whether it be petty crime, violent crime in our urban core,” Shreve said.

Hogsett said he has raised funding for more police and increased police accountability with the use of body cameras. Shreve pointed to the difficulty to recruit and retain Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers.

When asked about the 2020 riots and claims that Hogsett was nowhere to be found, Hogsett said he was at home that night and in close contact with law enforcement and other local leaders during the height of the protests.

Shreve said if he was mayor, he would have been out with protesters.

“We had a terrific mess on our hands, and the mayor wasn't on the scene. I don't know if he was just working from home. I can tell you that a Mayor Shreve would have been on the scene,” he said.

Both candidates said they recognized the pandemic has changed the way people work, and that has impacted office workers downtown.

The candidates debated moves including Spark on the Circle, which has closed part of Monument Circle in order to activate public space. Hogsett said it was a part of an overall strategy to enhance downtown resilience. Shreve said he was worried the effort would become permanent and it should not.

Both candidates also agreed that affordable housing hinges on more housing supply. The debate turned to bad-acting landlords that have threatened the supply of safe, affordable housing in Indianapolis. Hogsett said he was able to make some headway in resolving these problems and pointed to other measures he’s been able to take.

“We've also been responsible for a one-time property tax credit for 90 percent of homeowners to keep them in their homes, and the anti-displacement pilot project going on over in the Riverside Park area,” Hogsett said.

The disparity in the health and wellness for Marion County residents was discussed. Both candidates said the city has to do better. Food access and law enforcement mental health responses were also addressed during the hour-long event.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.