Metro Police Kick Off Summer Crime-Fighting Initiative 5.20.11

WRTV

The Indianapolis Metro Police Department kicked off its summer crime-fighting initiative with a data-driven strategy called "the surge."
This is the second year in a row that the surge has become a key component in IMPD's summer crime-fighting initiatives. Police said they monitor daily crime statistics and assign large numbers of police officers into areas called "hot spots," to suppress any criminal activity.
6News' Jack Rinehart talked with Detective Al Gray about a "hot spot" in the city near 38th Street and Franklin Road.
"Even though this is a hot area, it's difficult to saturate one particular area because crime is all over the city," Gray said.
For three days each month, officers who normally work in investigative or administrative jobs put on the uniform and give the department a greater presence in the hot spots.
Thursday, Gray investigated a burglary in progress on the east side.
Someone kicked in the front door at John Jackson's home and stole his flat screen TV and several electronic gaming devices.
"I know I'm not the only one becoming a victim. It's frustrating, especially when it's the second time in the past year and a half," Jackson said.
Capt. Mark Rice works as the East District crime strategist and said the more officers assigned to a hot spot means less criminal activity.
"We're putting the manpower where the problems are," said Rice. "That's the basic concept behind this effort, to put that relentless pressure on an area to drive that problem out."
Last year, police said they focused the surge exclusively north of Washington Street from county line to county line. This year's surge will fight crime city-wide.
Police credit last summer's surge with keeping the summertime homicide rate to its lowest levels in more than two decades.
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