Indianapolis officials say violence reduction plan key to decrease in homicides

Indianapolis officials say their approach to reducing gun violence is working, and plan to continue their efforts to lower the number of homicides this year.

Mayor Joe Hogsett’s violence reduction plan was announced in 2021, and includes $150 million in American Rescue Plan funding. The plan includes money for law enforcement technology, grants for community grassroots organizations, peacemakers, and a gun violence reduction strategy. The strategy identifies individuals who are at high risk of involvement in gun violence and uses interventions to prevent retaliatory shootings.

Indianapolis saw a 16 percent decrease in criminal homicides in 2022, and officials said the violence reduction plan has played a key role.

“I know that for residents, the only question that really matters is does this strategy work? In short, the answer is yes,” Hogsett said. 

Deputy Mayor of Public Health and Safety Lauren Rodriguez said in 2023, city agencies hope to address issues such as unintentional shootings and proper firearm storage – and they want to ensure that people feel safe in their community.

“We're looking forward to the coming months, and how we'll continue to adapt the framework and strategy to respond to what we've seen in the community,” she said.

Contact WFYI criminal justice reporter Katrina Pross at kpross@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @katrina_pross.

Pross is a Corps Member of Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project.