INDIANAPOLIS — Members of the Concerned Clergy have called on Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor's resignation.
Citing a culture lacking accountability for the officers, which creates an unsafe city for segments of Indianapolis, the Concerned Clergy believe it is time for Taylor to step down.
The announcement by the group, founded in the 1960s, is a first, according to Rev. David Greene Sr., senior pastor at Purpose of Life Ministries.
The move by the Concerned Clergy comes six days after the fatal shooting of Gary Harrell on the city's northeast side. The Concerned Clergy, following the request by the Black Church Coalition, is asking for transparency and accountability in the investigation into why an IMPD officer shot Harrell.
The Concerned Clergy also cited the death of Joseph Stiger, who was struck by an IMPD officer who was en route to a domestic violence call last week.
Herman Whitfield III, whose death led to the indictment of two IMPD officers, and Anthony Maclin, who was shot while sleeping in a rental car in his grandmother's driveway, were also mentioned.
In a statement sent to media in Indianapolis, IMPD said the following in defense of Chief Taylor.
Chief Randal Taylor has spent 36 years in law enforcement, serving 30 of them in Indianapolis.
Since becoming Chief in 2020, he has worked tirelessly for our city, the department, and its employees to be transparent and accountable. He has directed the department to be laser-focused on protecting every neighborhood and all those who live, work, and visit our great city.
Under his leadership:His entire tenure, Chief Taylor has remained committed to maintaining positive police-community relationships, reducing violent crime, responding to 911 calls for service, investigating and solving major crimes, and maintaining high levels of training for our officers.
- The IMPD implemented body-worn cameras and more than 1,400 body worn cameras have been distributed and equipped to officers.
- In 2020, the department began releasing critical incident videos which are shared on social media.
- These videos aim to strike a balance between preserving the integrity of the investigation and our desire to be as transparent as possible with the community.
- Prior to releasing these videos, Chief Taylor meets with a community group who reviews and provides feedback on the videos, as well as the process for developing the videos.
- Since 2018, all IMPD officers receive implicit bias training and de-escalation training.
- Officers attend Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training, which teaches officers the importance of intervening to prevent and stop police misconduct.
- Under Chief Taylor’s leadership, the Use of Force Board and General Orders Boards were created. Both have a majority civilian representation.
- The General Orders Board examines police policies and considers possible changes.
- The Use of Force Review Board reviews instances in which police officers use force and then determines whether their actions violated IMPD policies. This begins once prosecutors and police have completed the criminal investigation of an incident.
- Chief Taylor, with the input from the community, re-wrote the Use of Force policy to include the proportionate use of force, the duty to intervene, a requirement to provide medical aid, and strictly prohibiting the use of chokeholds.
- Chief Taylor prohibited the use of no-knock search warrants.
- The disciplinary process was overhauled with input from the community and the Civilian Police Merit Board.
- For the past two years, Chief Taylor has hosted virtual town halls in every police district to update residents on the department and its initiatives. These town halls included a direct question-and-answer session with Chief Taylor and IMPD leadership.
- In April 2023, IMPD held a Spanish-speaking town hall with the Hispanic and Latino communities.
- As of August 9, 2023, criminal homicides are down 12%, non-fatal shootings are down 12% and below 2020 levels, robberies continue a year after year decline, down 7% compared to 2022.
Ensuring processes are followed and maintaining the integrity of any investigation are essential to true accountability. We owe it to those directly involved, our community, and our officers.
Rev. Charles Harrison, Senior Pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church and Board President of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition, posted his support of Chief Taylor in a video to social media.
Chief Randy Taylor you are a good man and you have a lot of support despite your critics and we got your back.👍 pic.twitter.com/uXcdcUirXh
— Rev Dr Charles Harrison (@charlesharriso5) August 9, 2023
