INDIANAPOLIS — For the second year in a row, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration has poured $15 million into community anti-violence programs, and yet, the city’s homicide and gun homicide totals are still nearing record levels and the number of non-fatal shootings is rivaling 2022’s year-to-date statistics.
FOX59/CBS4 fanned out to the Indianapolis neighborhoods where two dozen people were shot this past weekend to gather community ideas for solving the gun violence crisis.
Of 25 City County Councilors we contacted for their reaction, three agreed to on-camera interviews.
“The community has a large or as large a role to play in solving this problem as any of us,” said southside Republican Paul Annee, Jr.
“You have to think: everybody has a gun now,” said Frank Mascari, a Democrat representing Beech Grove.
“We find there is only so much we can do with evil people,” said northside Democrat Dan Boots. “How do you stop them from doing what they’re doing?”
Neighbors who spoke with us articulated the same sentiments.
“We’re scared and we don’t know what’s going on and what’s next and who’s next,” said lifelong Haughville resident Jeffery Smith.
Ideas included more programming for youth, enforcement of curfew and gun safety training for children.
“I think you’re right about the gun safety,” said Mascari. “It should be institutionalized in some of the public schools. It’s a good idea possibly.”
Annee said the City should take the lead in offering gun safety and awareness training to all ages.
“Maybe going and finding opportunities to work with gun stores, gun owners all across the city to offer funding to do gun safety classes,” he said.
“The number one killer of kids these days are guns and many of them are accidental shootings,” said Boots, citing statistics posted by the CDC. “So, a gun safe program. You can get free gun locks from the Marion County Sheriff. We’ve tried to propose regulations on, ‘Hey, if you’ve lost your gun or it gets stolen, please let IMPD know so we can track the serial number’.”
Boots said that proposal was shot down by the General Assembly.
“People have a gun and they think they know how to use it and they don’t,” said Mascari. “There’s a large percentage of people who are accidentally getting shot right now. We need more penalties for people that leave guns laying around and have access that these kids are getting and they’re using them on the street.”
Four children were shot in Indianapolis from Friday through Sunday and a 15-year-old boy was wounded by gunfire Tuesday morning on the near east side.
Two young children have died in Marion County this year as the result of inadvertent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
In 2018, the City-County Council passed a resolution declaring Indianapolis in a gun violence and violent crime public health emergency.
Counselors agreed that a similar declaration by Marion County Public Health Director Dr. Virginia Caine determining that Indianapolis juveniles face a health crisis from gun violence could open an entirely new conversation of firearms crimes and accidental shootings as a public health threat.
“It could put some credence in what the city is trying to do,” said Mascari.
Boots agreed.
“To me, it is obviously a health crisis,” said Boots, “and as many resources as we can bring to bear here and it’s a public health crisis and I would be fully supportive of investigating at the Marion County Public Health Department because, again, the number one threat to children’s health are guns.”
Annee, a member of the Council’s Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, said he needs more information.
“I think it would be important in my position as a councilor to hear from the public health department, Doctor Caine and others on how that would impact them,” Annee said. “Hearing what they’re hearing and seeing every day so I would like to hear a little bit more from the experts.”
Councilors said they are eager to maintain conversations with the community on its views and suggestions for addressing gun violence in Indianapolis while continuing to search regionally and nationally for new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.
“I just heard this weekend about a program out of Fort Wayne that they’re implementing,” said Boots. “They’re bringing senior citizens into the most troubled high schools to make connections between the senior citizens and the youth and at least for the first several months of the program they’ve had great success.”
The councilors also referred to previously considered and discarded or discontinued programs that might need re-evaluation and redeployment in the battle against violence.
“What community programs do we have, how are they being funded, where are there gaps and where there are gaps? It is incumbent upon councilors, public safety committee members, to go back to the drawing board and find what we are missing as a city,” said Annee. “Clearly we’re missing something.”
Hogsett’s gun restrictions ordinance proposal, including a ban on assault rifles, repealing permitless carry, prohibiting the concealed carry of weapons and raising the purchase age of guns to 21, will be reviewed by a council committee Wednesday evening.
“It’s gonna absolutely pass out of committee,” said Mascari.
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