FROM
FROM ENDING. YOU'RE WATCHING 13. AND WE'LL GET TO ALL OF THAT SHORTLY. BUT FIRST
TONIGHT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON OUR
BIG STORY THIS EVENING
DEFUNDING THE POLICE THAT FEW
MONTHS AFTER THE DEATH
OF GEORGE FLOYD REIGNITED THE
NATIONWIDE CONVERSE. BUT
TONIGHT WE'RE GETTING A CLOSER
LOOK AT WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN
FOR THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
NOW THIS DOESN'T MEAN OUR CITY
WOULD SUDDENLY STOP HAVING A
POLICE DEPARTMENT. INSTEAD IT'S
MORE ABOUT REDISTRIBUTING MONEY
IN RESPONSIBILITIES. SO TONIGHT
WE'RE LOOKING INTO WHERE A
LOCAL GROUP WANTS THAT MONEY TO
GO, HOW SIMILAR PROGRAMS ARE
PLAYING OUT ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY AND THE PUSHBACK THIS
IDEA IS ALREADY FACING. IT'S A
SCENE THAT'S BEEN PLAYING OUT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IN
INDIANA TOO MANY PROTESTERS.
POLICE ARE THE PROBLEM LEADING
TO NATIONWIDE CALLS TO DEFUND
AND DISMANTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENTS. IT LOOKS LIKE
TAKING SOME OF THAT MONEY
FROM MPD WE'VE BACK INTO THE
COMMUNITIES WHERE OF COURSE
CRIME WILL GO DOWN BECAUSE THEY
HAVE MORE RESOURCES. ERICA
HASKINS AND OTHER MEMBERS
OF INDY10 BLACK LIVES MATTER
HELD A VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION
TUESDAY TO EXPLAIN SPECIFICALLY
WHAT ORGANIZERS ARE ASKING CITY
LEADERS FORM. FIRST WE'RE GOING
TO TALK ABOUT FOR A LITTLE
SECOND. WHY DO YOU FUNDING THE
POLICE IS NECESSARY. THAT
INCLUDES A REALLOCATION
OF MONEY GOING TO APD AND BACK
INTO THE COMMUNITY. MAYOR
HOGSETT PROPOSED A 2021 BUDGET
OF NEARLY ONE POINT THREE
BILLION DOLLARS. THE LARGEST
PIECE OF THE PIE WOULD GO TO
APD WITH A SEVEN POINT EIGHT
MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IF YOU
INCLUDE THE 30 MILLION IN
PENSIONS. IT WOULD BRING THE
TOTAL POLICE BUDGET TO 291
MILLION DOLLARS. HASKINS SAYS
FUNDING SHOULD GO TOWARDS FOOD,
HOUSING AND MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES. HOW ABOUT WE GIVE
THAT MONEY TO CENTERS IN THE
COMMUNITY THAT CAN CREATE MORE
GROCERY STORES? IT CAN CREATE
WEED. RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC. PEOPLE
CAN'T PAY THEIR RENT, YOU KNOW.
SO HOW ABOUT CREATE CREATE
RESOURCES FOR PROGRAMS LIKE
THIS INSTEAD OF ROLLING GIVING
PEOPLE SEVEN MORE MILLION
DOLLARS TO IUPUI? LEADERS HAVE
REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED THEY HAVE
NO PLANS TO DEFUND OR DISMANTLE
IUPUI. SO KAREN, PEOPLE ASK THE
PANEL QUESTIONS TODAY. IN FACT
SOMEBODY WANTED TO KNOW HOW DO
YOU KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE
WITHOUT POLICE? WHAT WAS THEIR
ANSWER? SCOTT THERE WERE A LOT
OF PEOPLE FROM INDY10 BLACK
LIVES MATTER THAT CHIMED IN ON
THIS QUESTION AND THEY FEEL
THAT POLICE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE
ALL THE TIME AND THEY FEEL THAT
THEY'RE SAFE. THE MAJORITY
OF THE TIME WHEN THEY'RE IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR WHEN
THEY'RE OUTSIDE AROUND YOU
KNOW, JUST DOING THEIR DAILY
ACTIVITIES BUT THEY FEEL THAT
THEY WOULD HAVE TO LEARN TO
POLICE THEMSELVES IN THEIR OWN
NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY SAY THAT
IF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS GOT
THEIR OWN RESOURCES OR ENOUGH
RESOURCES LIKE PROVIDING
GROCERY STORES IN POOR
NEIGHBORHOODS, ACCESS TO JOBS,
EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, THINGS
OF THAT NATURE, THEY FEEL THAT
THESE WHAT THEY CALL CRIMES
OPPORTUNITY AND CRIMES
OF PASSION WILL GO DOWN AND
THAT'S WHAT THEY FOCUSED ON
HAVING THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE
IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WILL
HELP LOWER CRIME. SO AGAIN THEY
SAY THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY
NECESSARILY NEED POLICE
OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE
THERE ALL THE TIME AND THEY
FEEL THAT THEY CAN DO A BETTER
JOB WITH POLICING THEMSELVES.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION
THAT CAME UP TODAY WOULD
DIVERSITY IN THE POLICE FORCE
HELP WHAT THEY SAY? INTERESTING
ANSWERS TO THIS ONE TOO. AND
THE SHORT ANSWER. SCOTT IS NO
WHEN THEY FEEL THAT IT'S NOT
THE CURE TO HAVE DIVERSITY IN A
POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAY
EVEN THOUGH MINORITIES DO WEAR
THAT UNIFORM, THEY WEAR THAT
BADGE. THEY SAID IT'S THE
SYSTEM THAT NEEDS CHANGING. AND
AGAIN IT GOES BACK TO THESE
RESOURCES. RIGHT. SO JUST
BECAUSE SOMEONE LOOKS LIKE THEM
OR ACTS LIKE THEM THINKS THAT
THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO KEEP
THEM SAFE, MAKE THEM FEEL THAT
THEY'RE SAFE AND YET IT GOES
BACK TO THIS WHOLE SYSTEM THAT
NEEDS TO CHANGE. SCOTT SO LET'S
TAKE A SECOND TO DIG INTO WHY
BLACK LIVES MATTER IS FOCUSING
ON ISSUES LIKE FOOD AND
HOUSING. THERE'S A STUDY OUT
OF IUPUI THAT FINDING MORE THAN
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE IN
OUR CITY LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS.
NOW ABOUT 10000 HOUSEHOLDS
DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION
NEEDED TO GET TO A GROCERY
STORE. NOW WHEN IT COMES TO
HOUSING AN ANNUAL REPORT
RELEASED IN JULY FOUND THE CITY
OF INDIANAPOLIS SAW THE THIRD
HIGHEST INCREASE IN HOME RENTAL
COSTS. AND THE SAME MONTH
WALLET HUB RANKED OUR CITY
AMONG THE WORST IN THE NATION
FOR RENTERS BASED ON
AFFORDABILITY AND QUALITY
OF LIFE. SO WHILE THE COST IS
INCREASING. WHAT YOU GET FOR
YOUR MONEY ISN'T WELL ALREADY
WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL CITY LEADERS
MPD CITY COUNTY COUNCILOR DAN
BOOTH POINTED TO CHANGES
ALREADY IN THE WORKS TO HOLD
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDING UPDATED
OVERSIGHT AND COMPLAINT BOARDS.
FORMER COUNCILER CHRISTINE
SCALES SAYS CITY LEADERS SHOULD
FIND IMPROVED STRATEGIES TO
REDUCE CRIME BUT THAT DEFUNDING
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT
THE SOLUTION. IN FACT, SHE SAYS
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OFFICERS TO
RESPOND TO THE CRIME IN OUR
CITY AS IS AND ARGUES MONEY IS
GETTING INVESTED IN
NEIGHBORHOOD BASED CRIME
PREVENTION EFFORTS. AND SHE
ALSO POINTED TO SPECIAL
RESPONSE TEAMS. INDIANAPOLIS
HAS CREATED CONSISTING
OF POLICE OFFICERS, EMT EASE
AND MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS. SO
WHAT DOES DEFUNDING THE POLICE
LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY
PUT INTO PRACTICE? WELL, WE
FOUND A FEW CITIES TONIGHT WITH
PROGRAMS THAT GIVE US A LITTLE
GLIMPSE. FIRST UP RIGHT CARE IN
DALLAS. THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT
PAIRS UP AN OFFICER, PARAMEDIC
AND SOCIAL WORKER FOR MENTAL
HEALTH RELATED CALLS. THIS
STARTED BACK IN 2018. SINCE
THEN THE CITY HAS SEEN A
DECREASE IN ARRESTS AND
AMBULANCE CALLS FOR PEOPLE WITH
MENTAL HEALTH TROUBLES. PLUS IT
FREES UP OFFICERS TO DEAL WITH
OTHER EMERGENCIES. NOW TO
EUGENE, OREGON WHERE THEY'VE
GOT A SIMILAR PROGRAM SENDING
MEDICS AND CRISIS WORKERS TO
CALLS FOR HELP THAT DON'T NEED
POLICE OFFICERS. THIS IS PAIRED
UP WITH A NETWORK OF HOSPITAL
PROGRAMS TO BREAK THE CYCLES
OF VIOLENCE AND GET PEOPLE
BETTER HEALTH CARE AND ACCESS
TO SOCIAL SERVICES. FINALLY IN
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, THAT CITY
HAS CREATED AN OFFICE
OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION. NOW
THIS FALLS UNDER THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF POLICE.
THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENCE
THINGS LIKE YOUTH PROGRAMS
BETTER HEALTH CARE, FAMILY
RESOURCES AND EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES. NOW THESE CALLS
TO DEFUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
REALLY STARTED TO GAIN TRACTION
FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF GEORGE
FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS. SO
TONIGHT WE WANTED TO KNOW WHERE
IT STANDS THEIR CITY THE
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
WITH A NEW PUBLIC SAFETY
DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD STILL
INCLUDE A LAW ENFORCEMENT
SERVICES BUT IT'S DESCRIBED AS
HAVING A HOLSTIC PUBLIC HEALTH
ORIENTED APPROACH. AND IT IS
NOWHERE NEAR CLOSE TO BECOMING
A REALITY. MINNEAPOLIS VOTERS
WILL HAVE TO APPROVE THAT
CHANGE. FOR IT TO BECOME
OFFICIAL EARLIER THIS MONTH WE
LEARNED IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
READY IN TIME FOR THE NOVEMBER
BALLOT. NOW HERE IN INDIANA
TONIGHT, CHANGES AREN'T JUST
HAPPENING AT THE CITY LEVEL.
GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB ANNOUNCED
TODAY THAT ALL STATE TROOPERS
ARE GOING TO GET BODY CAMERAS
BY NEXT SPRING AND IS DIRECTING
A THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF POLICE
TRAINING FOR ALL INDIANA
OFFICERS. NOW WE'RE TALKING USE
OF FORCE DE-ESCALATION AND
IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING AND A
FIVE MILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG
TO FIT ALL STATE POLICE
OFFICERS WITH CAMERAS. SO THAT
WRAPS UP TONIGHT'S BIG STORY.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WHAT
YOU SAW TONIGHT WITH SOMEONE,
WE HAVE THE VIDEO POSTED ON WTA
BROADCOM. WE'LL HAVE IT THERE
FOR YOU SHORTLY.