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Indianapolis public safety officials are planning to use technology and elevated staffing levels to maintain peace during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, in which thousands of basketball fans are expected to descend upon the city’s downtown.
The event comes as more than a dozen people, many of them teens, have been killed or wounded by gun violence in the city’s central business district over the past three weeks.
To quell potential violence this weekend, Indianapolis police will use public safety cameras, mobile trailer cameras, and drones flying overhead.
“These tools help officers get a better view of crowds, traffic movements, and enhance the overall safety for our fans,” IMPD Chief Chris Bailey told media Monday.
Bailey said that the department’s real-time crime center will also be staffed with analysts and detectives to respond quickly to concerns. Additionally, he said the department has shifted staffing to ensure all neighborhoods, including the Mile Square, are covered and is working with local and federal partners to support security efforts.
The event-focused anti-violence work joins measures previously announced by Bailey and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. On July 5, after an early morning shooting left two teens dead, the pair announced that officials would boost patrols, enforce a curfew, install more cameras and work with Indiana State Police to curb violence downtown.
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Bailey encouraged visitors and residents to text ALLSTAR25 to 67283 to receive public safety updates.
The See Say app is another tool visitors and fans can use to report non-emergency safety or cleanliness concerns to Downtown Indy Inc. Named for the common “see something, say something” refrain, users can submit photos, videos and written reports to Downtown Indy for follow-up. The free app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Monument Circle, Georgia Street closures
City leaders on Monday also outlined the ways in which the downtown traffic flow will be impacted by event-related road closures.
At some points over the weekend, all of Monument Circle will be closed for WNBA All-Star activities and Spark on the Circle, a seasonal pop-up park that takes place on the northwestern quadrant of the Circle.
The south half of the roundabout will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning 8 a.m. on Wednesday. It will reopen at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The northeastern quadrant, home to the Salesforce Tower, will also be closed from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
From 8 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Sunday, the eastbound lane of Georgia Street will be closed from Illinois to Meridian streets and Meridian to Pennsylvania street. During that time, side streets stemming from Georgia will also be closed to traffic. Northbound Scioto Street will close between Louisiana and Georgia streets; and southbound McCrea Street will close between Georgia and Jackson streets.
On Friday, Delaware Street between South and Maryland streets will be closed from 4-11 p.m., during the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge events. The same area will be closed from 4-11 p.m. Saturday during the All-Star Game.
Due to the All-Star Bounce event on Saturday, roads will see temporary closures from the American Legion Mall extending south along Meridian Street to Monument Circle from 7 a.m. to noon.
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I’m sorry, but what a sad commentary on the state of our city. Hope things go well and that visitors don’t become collateral victims. The whole world’s watching.
Good luck and bless our public safety teams. You have a long weekend or so ahead of you.