IMPD East District uses new approach to fight drugs, crime
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s East District has a new tactic to get drugs and crime out of east side neighborhoods. 24-Hour News 8 rode along with IMPD to see the new approach in action. The new method of taking on drugs focuses on the small issues that eventually add up. IMPD East District has been using it for about a month, and officers said they already see a difference.
Officer Joe Kraeszig has been with IMPD for more than twenty years. Kraeszig is part of East District’s Flex team — a small group of officers with special skills and experience in drug investigations.
“We don’t take any runs, we’re more looking to investigate the complaints,” said Kraeszig.
The narcotics complaints are from people who suspect drug use or dealing at a home in their area. Commander Mike Bruin says the complaints had been piling up, because East District didn’t have enough resources to deal with them.
“Right now, we’ve received narcotics complaints that our narcotics units can’t get to, because they’re so overloaded with complaints,” said Kraeszig.
“These drug houses bring in people that commit property crimes, violent crimes associated with them and then there’s just quality of life issues that are associated with them. With all of our efforts to improve our neighborhoods, I realize we can’t make any progress if we don’t address these drug houses more effectively and in a more timely manner,” said Bruin.
So Bruin paired Flex officers, like Kraeszig, with uniformed officers and sent them out to handle at least one complaint every day.
“By teaming with our middle shift officers, we leverage that experience. It also transfers those skills to the middle shift officers, some of them learn how to write warrants and how to do some of these investigations. It makes our whole district stronger,” said Bruin.
Officers simply knock on doors, and ask if they can come in.
“We do basically an abbreviated investigation. A lot of times it doesn’t even result in an arrest or a seizure, but it’s a way for us to address those complaints and put some pressure on the people who are creating those activities,” said Bruin.
“A lot of times we’ll see stuff in plain view,” said Kraeszig.
While 24-Hour News 8 rode along, the team made three arrests, but sometimes it’s just about letting the neighborhood know they’re watching.
“The neighbors don’t want it in their area,” said Kraeszig.
After each complaint, the officers now look at the entire block for illegal parking, trash, abandoned cars or vacant homes that need to be boarded up. They’re keeping an eye out for minor complaints that invite bigger problems.
“We want to look for those root causes that made somebody think it’s OK to open a drug house on this block,” said Bruin. “We have people who are comfortable coming here on the east side to buy and use drugs. This is an attempt to change that and make it uncomfortable for them.”
