The Indianapolis homicide rate exceeds that of New York City. Our police department is demoralized and widely criticized. Citizen complaints–fair and unfair–are widespread. What should a new Mayor do?
The Indianapolis homicide rate exceeds that of New York City. Our police department is demoralized and widely criticized. Citizen complaints–fair and unfair–are widespread. What should a new Mayor do?
Perhaps the important question is not what the new Mayor should do, but how.
Crime control depends first and foremost on citizen support for police and the rule of law. Support is more than reporting suspicious behavior or cooperating with law enforcement during investigations; it means demonstrating respect for legal behavior and acting accordingly even when no one is looking. When legislators pass laws that are widely viewed as unfair or silly, when police break the rules, when the criminal justice system is seen as arbitrary or biased, respect erodes and compliance declines.
Mayors can’t do much about the legislature or the courts, but by working in genuine partnerships with their communities they can improve local law enforcement. Partnership is the theory behind community policing, which encourages officers to develop trust by working closely with residents of the neighborhoods they serve. Citizen trust is also the goal of recent amendments to the city’s civilian review process. Police cannot work effectively if citizens fear or distrust them. A collaborative relationship, genuinely supported by the new Mayor, can generate a dialogue, and begin a healing process, that is long overdue.
Crime control requires collaboration with social service agencies and nonprofit organizations, especially neighborhood organizations. While politicians focus on punishment, police are among the first to recognize the importance of social interventions to prevent crime and delinquency. As one deputy chief said in a recent meeting, there are too few places for young people to "hang out" in Indianapolis; too few programs offering mentoring and role models for "at-risk" youngsters. Nonprofits can help fill these needs.
There are other opportunities for creative collaboration. The city could work with members of the criminal justice faculty at IUPUI, several of whom are nationally recognized experts in policing and juvenile justice issues. Other cities have seen dramatic declines in crime over the past several years, and scholarly research is emerging that can tell us a great deal about their efforts. While the use of independent consultants has its place, it seems foolhardy to overlook the substantial academic resources in our own backyard.
Mayors tend to see critics where they might see nontraditional partners. Organizations like the ICLU, the NAACP or Concerned Clergy can be counted on to cry foul when policing efforts violate the constitution, but they can also help develop effective programs that respect the rights of citizens. Bringing them into the planning process would demonstrate the new administration’s own commitment to the rule of law.
Indianapolis has a broader network of community resources than is sometimes recognized. The next Mayor will need to engage those resources in a genuinely collaborative effort if we are to win the fight against crime in our city.