Public Safety Meeting Highlights Efforts To Reduce Violence In Indianapolis

City officials, public safety leaders and law enforcement sat down with community members Wednesday to give an overview of public safety efforts in Indianapolis.

Strategies highlighted at the meeting included interagency collaboration and holistic approaches to violence reduction. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says these methods are proven successful and points to a slight reduction in homicides in 2019.

"This does not speak to every home, it does not speak to every headline and we must be muted in our optimism," says Hogsett. 

The city also saw an uptick in non-fatal shootings.

Community Violence Reduction Director Shonna Majors says her office has been focused on identifying individuals at risk of violence.  She says one intervention program was able to help 37 people.

"And I’m happy to report that none of them are dead, none of them have picked up new charges, new convictions," says Majors, "and they’re taking advantage of these services."

Hogsett says collaborative efforts have to be part of the solution. 

"Chronic violence threatens to divide communities from the larger city.  Only unity will heal division," says Hogsett. 

Programs to increase police staffing and create more beats will also be a continued focus in 2020.