INDIANAPOLIS — Many Indianapolis residents will see a heavy police presence while visiting their favorite parks this week.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is implementing Operation Spring Break Safer Parks as IPS and other schools enjoy the week off of school.
"The major focus is presence with the focus on checking certain sex offenders in the area," shared Marion County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Ralph Bellamy.
The operation is looking to improve police presence in parks to give parents a peace of mind while letting their children enjoy the city’s outdoor space.
"When you see several officers in the area, it deters them for committing crimes,” shared Bellamy. “They know they're going to get caught if we're really close."
The sheriff’s office will be preforming regular checkups on various parks around the county to ensure kids are safe and sexual predators aren’t violating any laws.
“We kind of do a general sweep, if we see a vehicle may be out of place kind of isolated, we'll run the plate and just make sure it's not registered to a sex offender,” shared Bellamy.
"We are a zero tolerance county when it comes to our sex offenders,” expressed Lieutenant Steven Hull.
"If there's an offender that's in the park, we take those tips seriously. We want to address them immediately to let the public know that we are here for them,” Hull added.
The Operation Spring Break Safer Parks will continue through March 31st.
Concerned parents can visit the Marion County Sheriff’s office website for various resources to help keep their children safe.
