As summer begins and outdoor activity increases, Indianapolis officials and community leaders are confronting renewed concerns about crime, even as data show violent crime trending downward compared to historic highs.
In a recent interview, Reverend Charles Harrison of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition said citywide numbers for non-fatal shootings, stabbings, homicides, and criminal homicides are lower than the peak years of 2021 and 2022, when Indianapolis recorded more than 200 homicides annually for several consecutive years.
“I think the city is still on a downward trajectory,” Harrison said, noting that crime levels remain below the historic highs of the past decade. “We’re still, I think, heading in the right direction, though I know for many people it doesn’t feel like we are.”
That disconnect between data and public sentiment is shaping much of the current debate. While statistics suggest improvement, Harrison acknowledged that perceptions of crime are fueled by incidents in neighborhoods and parts of downtown that traditionally have seen little violence. Reports of shots fired and high-profile incidents in these areas, he said, contribute to a widespread sense that “things are pretty bad in Indianapolis,” even when the overall numbers say otherwise.
A recent fatal shooting in a downtown parking garage, involving a juvenile with no prior criminal record, intensified public alarm and fueled claims that downtown is unsafe. Once it emerged that the suspect did not fit the stereotype of a repeat violent offender, public outcry quickly subsided. Harrison said this illustrates how quickly perceptions can form—and how slowly they fade.
Harrison also pointed to the long-running issue of crime spreading beyond the city’s urban core into surrounding “donut counties” such as Hendricks, Hamilton, Johnson, Morgan and others. He said those communities are now experiencing problems that inner-city neighborhoods have faced for years. At the same time, he noted, suburban residents drive into Indianapolis to buy illegal drugs, contributing to the drug trade in urban neighborhoods.
On enforcement, Harrison said he has been in discussions with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and federal authorities about disrupting the flow of guns—particularly rifles and AR-15–style weapons—into city neighborhoods, and about federal options for dealing with repeat violent offenders who cycle in and out of the system.
Harrison has also spoken with Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears and challenger Philip Faust about juvenile violence and the Ten Point Coalition’s street-level work. He said the governor’s office has likewise sought input on how to address an uptick in juveniles carrying guns and committing violent acts.
The Ten Point Coalition focuses on youth gun possession, steering clear of the broader Second Amendment political debate. Harrison said the priority is addressing why 12- to 17-year-olds feel the need to carry guns and helping them resolve conflicts without violence.
A key part of that strategy, he said, is the use of “OGs”—former offenders, including ex–drug dealers and gang members—who speak directly with young people about the real consequences of pulling the trigger, from long prison terms to death.
Harrison also cited the high rate of single-parent households in the African American community and the shortage of positive male role models as major contributing factors. With many children growing up without fathers, he said churches and community groups must act as an extended family, providing father, grandfather, uncle, or big-brother figures on the streets.
Finally, Harrison rejected efforts to frame crime and public safety debates primarily in racial terms, calling the issue “a human problem.” He said the focus should be on why young people of any background go down the wrong path—and what communities can do to help turn their lives around.
