Indianapolis mayor seeks money for police body cameras
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has detailed a proposed $1 billion city budget that seeks $200,000 to start equipping police officers with body cameras.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has detailed a proposed $1 billion city budget that seeks $200,000 to start equipping police officers with body cameras.
A pilot program that equipped law enforcement officials with body cameras is coming to an end after seven months because department leaders are uncertain whether they can afford to continue it.
Mayor Greg Ballard on Wednesday proposed a 5-year program to pay for preschool for 4-year-olds from low-income families. He also floated hiring another 280 police officers. The cost to the average household would be $86 per year.
Indianapolis officials are taking extra steps to ensure safety at Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration in a year that has seen a surge in homicides.
Indianapolis officials plan to close a two-block portion of Broad Ripple Avenue to motor vehicles on Friday and Saturday nights for the rest of the summer.
IMPD officers are not required to live in the city, and about 240, or 16 percent of the force, choose to reside elsewhere. Many of the city’s highest-crime neighborhoods have the fewest police officers as residents.
A proposal unveiled today would allow officers to live rent-free in new or refurbished houses and then allow the officers to buy the homes.
Last year, the city shifted 100 officers to patrol duty to help combat crime. Despite that, Indianapolis suffered 125 homicides in 2013, its highest tally in seven years.
Marion County criminal-justice complex project could rival Indianapolis airport terminal in cost, entail public-private financing deal.
The City-County Council will decide Monday whether to create a committee to scrutinize the Regional Operations Center, which Public Safety Director Troy Riggs vacated in September over safety concerns.
Indianapolis Public Safety Director Troy Riggs removed about 150 workers from a city police department regional operations center Monday because city fire and building inspectors deemed the building unsafe.
More than 100 uniformed police officers will be deployed within weeks on Indianapolis' streets to combat a rise in violent crime, under a plan unveiled by the mayor and other city officials.
Instead of freeing up $6 million in Rebuild Indy funds for new recruits, city officials will soon debut a plan to move 100 officers from desk jobs to patrol, according to the mayor.
Indianapolis police are keeping an eye on downtown valets, whose habit of blocking traffic lanes has prompted complaints. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department issued a stern reminder to all valet operators on Jan. 31, the week after the opening of The Alexander Hotel in CityWay at Delaware and South streets.
After saying in August he would revoke raises for police officers and firefighters, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has agreed in principal to a new contract that would delay a 3 percent salary hike by six months.
David “Troy” Riggs, who was officially named public safety director of Indianapolis on Tuesday, said he wants to increase the number of police officers on city streets.
The Republican mayor's administration also is trying to renegotiate scheduled 3 percent pay raises for officers and firefighters for $5.5 million in budget cuts.
Frank Straub is resigning after more than a year of criticism over the city police department's handling of evidence in a fatal crash involving an officer.
A fresh revelation about the mishandling of evidence in a fatal crash involving an Indianapolis police officer prompted the city's police chief, Paul Ciesielski, to step down Tuesday, and left Public Safety Director Frank Straub being grilled by a city-county committee Wednesday night.
Security for Indianapolis’ Super Bowl—already ramped up from regular-season NFL games—could get even tighter. Sources said there has been talk of President Obama attending the February event.