Even though the investigations into the Aaron Bailey police action shooting are still pending, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced a series of sweeping changes within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department which he says will strengthen trust between IMPD and the community and increase transparency in the policing process.

Bailey was killed after a high speed chase with police, however no weapon was found.

The administration announced the following changes:

  • Implicit Bias Training: IMPD and the Mayor’s Office of Public Health and Safety will bring in nationally recognized experts, who have worked with the Department of Justice, to implement a “training of trainers” program for implicit bias. Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect an individual’s understanding, actions, and decisions.  These biases are understood to be activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness. This new program will work to train IMPD officers as well as provide police and community members with the tools to lead implicit bias training. This comprehensive effort will be a first of its kind in the nation.
  • Creation of a Use of Force Review Board: IMPD will create a Use of Force Review Board that will review any incident where an officer resorted to the use of force to resolve the issue, be it a physical altercation, use of Taser, or use of firearm.
  • Creation of an Office of Diversity and Inclusion: IMPD will create an Office of Diversity and Inclusion to be located within the IMPD Training Academy. This office will include officers and community members with a mission to assess and evaluate the impact of training and operational policies on the community, identify trends quickly, and make necessary changes accordingly.
  • Training Curriculum Review and Reform: IMPD will bring in a diverse set of legal experts to analyze the training curriculum for new officers and revise the continuing education that all officers receive, with a strong focus on ensuring that the role of implicit bias is minimized in the way IMPD officers are prepared to interact with residents in this city.
  • Community Review of the Citizens Police Complaint Board: The Mayor’s Office will engage community and faith leaders to conduct a comprehensive review of the Citizens Police Complaint Board. While the board has already been engaged with the community, this process will ensure the board is servicing the needs and best interests of all residents in a fair and just manner.

The Fraternal Order of Police issued the following statement in response to the Mayor’s proposal.

“We look forward to learning additional details of the concepts outlined by the Mayor today.   Issues of mutual trust and respect between officers and the public are paramount to our collective membership. That is why we have proactively advocated for and participated in efforts that address the opportunities for enhancement of that relationship throughout our Indianapolis community.  The FOP in collaboration with our Chief of Police and members of our community has been working on many of these topics for quite some time. We look forward to continued dialogue and productive engagement by everyone involved.   As we continue our progress, we appreciate the ongoing support of our residents and visitors for our police department which is made up of women and men who never waiver in their commitment to protect our neighborhoods and the multiple events hosted within our City.”

 

You can hear the Mayor, as well as chief Bryan Roach and Deputy Mayor of Neighborhoods  David Hampton in the Leon-Tailored Audio above.