INDIANAPOLIS — The Broad Ripple Village Association announced today that late night business owners have come to a unanimous agreement to shut doors earlier to slow crime.
Starting today, all bars and restaurants in Broad Ripple Village will close at 1 a.m. until further notice. Many places also plan to discontinue any type of day parties and use of promoters to host events.
"We have had loitering issues late night, and right now while Broad Ripple Avenue is torn up we want to put safety and love and care for our village first. We all came together and agreed on that one o'clock curfew," said Michael Cranfill, a restaurant owner in Broad Ripple.
According to the Broad Ripple Village Association, the reasoning behind the change is to help eliminate the string of violence the Village has recently seen.
“This community-led shift cannot and will not be the only security change made in Broad Ripple Village and these Broad Ripple business owners hope that others will follow their lead to put public safety first,” the Association said in a press release.
The Broad Ripple Village Association says this is a large financial sacrifice for the businesses included, but “everyone agreed something had to be done,” and there is “no time to wait for any other entity to act.”
This announcement comes one day after the association held an emergency meeting to discuss safety plans.
After three people were shot and killed in Broad Ripple over the weekend, there has been a rising concern about senseless violence there.
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Cranfill attributes the ongoing construction as a reason for the ongoing issues with violent crime.
"It’s creating blocked off areas in the streets where cars aren’t traveling and that kind of becomes a gathering place for people. These people are under 21. They’re not even allowed in the bars, and they’re just gathering in the streets. At times when first responders, police officers can’t get police cruisers through the streets," said Cranfill.
The group plans to schedule a meeting in the next two-weeks with the mayor’s office, IMPD, DPW and the prosecutor's office to find additional ways to create a safe environment in Broad Ripple Village.
