Indianapolis initiative would award public safety funds based on a council district's need

Indianapolis may embark on a new pilot program that allocates public safety funding based on the needs of each of its 25 council districts, the first major initiative to address the city's rising tide of violence with data on disparities across Marion County.

The program, which relies on a data-based community information initiative spearheaded by IUPUI's Polis Center, would distribute $1.25 million in funds based on each district's need. The funding would add to the $3 million that the city's Office of Public Health and Safety has provided for crime prevention grants in 2020-21.

The analysis uses a violent crime index ranging from 0 to 100 that includes the area's violent crime rate and social determinants of violent crime — including segregation, unemployment, education levels and poverty rate.

"This is really the first step to a larger, much bigger initiative through the city of Indianapolis on how to allocate resources," said Leroy Robinson, chairman of the Indianapolis City-County Council's public safety and criminal justice committee. The data, he noted, can serve as an equity atlas for the city. 

The pilot program would rank districts based on tiers of need, with districts containing the near east side, far east side and Martindale-Brightwood neighborhoods receiving the highest $80,000 amount.

Funding for the pilot program would be distributed through the Central Indiana Community Foundation, which administers the crime prevention grants. Groups that have received those crime prevention grants in the past include Ten Point Coalition, Dove Recovery House for Women and Eskenazi Health Foundation's Prescription for Hope. 

But in the new pilot program, council members would play a role in identifying priorities in their district, Robinson said. 

The initiative passed 7-4, with the committee's four Republicans voting against and Robinson abstaining as a director of major gifts for the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

The proposal will go before the full council in August. 

Republican Minority Leader Brian Mowery said if he had the chance to read the plan beforehand, he would be a little more comfortable with the proposal. 

But Democrats supported the new effort, which could be enacted in the next few months but would have to be budgeted again in the upcoming 2021 city budget.  

"I do think this is a prudent way to go about this," said council member Dan Boots, whose district would receive $20,000 as an area in the lowest fifth tier. "As we've all seen over the past several years, the more money we've spent, the more police officers we've hired, unfortunately the higher our crime rate has gone as well. So obviously just throwing money and personnel at the issue is not the answer, in my opinion."

Call IndyStar reporter Amelia Pak-Harvey at 317-444-6175 or email her at apakharvey@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmeliaPakHarvey.