INDIANAPOLIS — Cities across the country want to prove they are not filled with crime and violence.
Indianapolis is heading in the right direction towards that goal, judging by the city's falling homicide rate.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department reported 215 homicides in 2023 as the year comes to a close.
That number is a slight decrease from the 222 homicides the city experienced last year, and a drastic drop from the 274 homicides tallied in 2021.
"This means that there is still work to be done," said Samone Burris of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. "This means that our community is standing up and speaking out against violence."
Indianapolis' Community Violence Reduction Team, a division of the Office of Public Safety and Health, has led the city's effort for safer streets.
"In order for us to fix a problem, we have to understand we have a problem," said Shardae Hoskins, the program director for the Community Violence Reduction Team. "Nobody's going to come in here and save us. There's not going to be a magic pill to fix violence. It's going to take the work."
That work revolves around mentorship and education programs in high-risk communities. Hoskins said they're most focused on the 46218 zip code, which includes the Blackburn Terrace housing development.
"We've tried to really put our feet down in that neighborhood and offer them wrap-around service on a continuous basis," Hoskins said. "We've seen success in that."
Hoskins said she was motivated to turn Indianapolis around to improve the city by her young son.
"Kids should be able to do the things that we all did growing up, to have a good time and not be concerned about violence," Hoskins said. "They deserve to go to parties and congregate as young people do."
Hoskins said everyone in Indianapolis needs to believe in the city's future if they want the homicide rate to continue to decrease.
"It's not just one organization or just the city or just a community-based organization," Hoskins said. "It's us as a complete city moving towards one direction."
