INDIANAPOLIS – Three Republican members of the Indianapolis City-County Council have proposed painting “Back the Blue” on Shelby Street, to show support for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The proposal, set to be introduced Monday, was sponsored by councilors Michael Dilk, Paul Annee and Minority Leader Brian Mowery.
The proposal calls for a “visible message—a message that will be clearly visible outside the walls of this Council Chamber.”
They propose the words “Back the Blue” be written on Shelby Street between Cottage Avenue and Olive Street. A similar mural was painted on a street in Tampa, Florida.
“There has been many reports and videos circulated on social media of police officers being targeted for violence or ambushed and short-sighted calls to defund police departments,” the proposal reads.
There were no serious calls to defund IMPD by the City-County Council. Instead, IMPD’s budget will be increased for 2021.
The writing would be similar to the “Black Lives Matter” mural painted in August on Indiana Avenue, which was defaced a little more than a week later.
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“The vast majority of IMPD officers fulfill their duty to protect and serve the Indianapolis citizens daily typically with no recognition for their unseen heroics, kind gestures or extra-efforts to promote the peace and remove criminal element from neighborhoods,” the proposal reads.
The proposal will be introduced Monday. No votes are expected at that time.
