Indianapolis Murder Numbers - record surpassed and rising? (live, vs)

[Humboldt1]

Roe v Wade is way more effective. Longer sentences are great as it keeps the bad actors off the street but it costs money to lock them up. Society is better off if they are not born in the first place.

Studies have proven this out time and time again.

It is naive to think that police are not limited by the Ferguson effect.

[sheerbliss]

Going by homicides per capita, the rate is lower than it was in 2006 (16.9 by my calculations v. 17.5).

Looking at City Data crimes per capita since 2002, the rates for most crimes look pretty steady and even. Some of the variation is simply randomness. It would be odd if rates were exactly the same year after year.

Some brights spots are that burglaries and thefts have steadily gone down here, as they have in the rest of the US. Arsons are down, too.

//www.city-data.com/crime/crime...s-Indiana.html

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by sheerbliss

Some brights spots are that burglaries and thefts have steadily gone down here....

Reported thefts have gone down. The actual number might be much higher, but people just stop report certain crimes. Many folks won't report petty thefts and even if they have larger ticket items like cell phones or costly bicycles they might not report them anymore. All I can say is that I know there are lots of thefts, most of which are drug related, but some are just poor people (usually younger folks) looking to make some cash.

While I do think that some de-policing might be taking place not all officers will change to a more reactive style with their work. The police have been doing lots of raids in just the last couple of months. Many of these have been reported by the TV news stations. Not all police officers are going to take a more laid back approach. The job has always been looked at by those people who have a personality in which they just want to get into another person's business. Law enforcement provides such an opportunity for those types of people. So the big wigs will always be able to find officers will go be part of pro-active units.

[sheerbliss]

Can you think of a reason people would be less likely to report thefts than they were five or ten years ago?

They're surely reporting burglaries and auto thefts, don't you think?

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by sheerbliss

Can you think of a reason people would be less likely to report thefts than they were five or ten years ago?

They're surely reporting burglaries and auto thefts, don't you think?

Anymore people just don't know what to do, minimize the crime (it is petty theft basically), or just don't want to wait. For years most simple after the fact thefts were reported via phone to IMPD. My friend had his car broken into in Broad Ripple, took four hours for them to call back. Unless a person demands to see an actual officer, these are phone in reports possibly being done by people doing other things and getting back to calling people when they have time. Just like with minor non-injury crashes. People in Indy have waited upwards of two hours for an officer to finally respond. It isn't surprising that some people just get sick of waiting, exchange information, take photos with their cell phone and be on their way. Most people know that once something is gone it is gone, so unless they have an overwhelming desire to just make an official report, some people won't report the theft. From victims I know, some just aren't reporting thefts and I think some of it has to do with just how busy people are, how many work in one area but live in another, etc.. I know of people who had catalytic converters stolen, they didn't know it, get the vehicle repaired, insurance deductible was more than the repair, so there really was no reason to report it outside of wanting the police to know. Same thing with break-ins to vehicles.

Burglaries and auto thefts are more likely to be reported, but I believe they are categorized differently.

[Serious Conversation]

I could have sworn I saw an article over the last few days where the police chief's salary was tens of thousands less than comparable metros. If this filters down to the officers on the beat, think we're not getting the best quality of officer we can?

[ServoMiff]

Crime is at record levels in Louisville as well - but mostly relegated to the incredibly disadvantaged west end.

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I could have sworn I saw an article over the last few days where the police chief's salary was tens of thousands less than comparable metros. If this filters down to the officers on the beat, think we're not getting the best quality of officer we can?

IMPD officers are making OK money now. After just three years on they top out around $65K/year. That doesn't factor in over-time and the value of those who are issued take-home vehicles (city pays for gas, wear and tear, insurance). I know one guy who has about 15 or so years one. With all his extra duty pay and longevity he gets an additional $8K/year. They are going to get raises over the next four years which will bring the third year pay up to around $73Kish give or take. However their healthcare is going to cost them, and it will cost them big from what I've heard. That being said, most new officers don't get day shift, and they take a lot of arrest from what I've been told. So they are in court enough that many of them should end up clearing around $80K-$90K/year. That is pretty good money for central Indiana. Most of the surrounding agencies will be following, but they might only top out in the $60Ks depending on finances. This is going to be a serious drain on other agencies in places like Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Bloomington, Evansville, etc.. Unless the cost of of living in those areas is substantially less than central Indiana, I can see more and more of those officers considering trying to get a job with one of the higher paying Indy metro departments. A $20K/year pay bump, plus a higher OT rate, will be hard to pass up.

[Toxic Toast]

You know, I recently had something stolen out of my car. I didn't report it to the police. I did, however, report that someone stole my trash can.

As relates to homicides, yes they've spiked, and no I've not changed anything about my daily life as a result.

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Classic City Data
Threads that go off into a distant universe that have nothing to do with the topic of hand.
Regardless the most violent year in Indianapolis was 1997 with 162 homicides. No amount of lying media BS will change those historical facts.

I don't consider homicides alone as a measure of violence. How many aggravated assaults were there compared to now? With twenty years of advancements in medical care, how many of those 162 might have lived in today's era? What about fights and strong armed robberies?