IMPD drug investigators get a new assignment
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Chief Troy Riggs has a new plan for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s drug unit. He’s moving about 60 drug detectives out of a central office and dispersing them among the department’s six districts.
Those detectives will investigate the street level dealers and users. In the past, the districts would send drug complaints to a central office. Once there, if a complaint wasn’t big enough, it would get put behind bigger cases, and sometimes it wouldn’t be investigated at all.
“What I realized when I first got here as chief is that we got a lot of street level complaints on drug use, and no one was really investigating them in the district,” said Riggs.
IMPD will also roll out a flex team of investigators. The department will send the teams to various districts where there has been a reported spike in crime, such as homicides, car break-ins, or even robberies.
Currently the 60 officers are in training until Saturday. It is expected the crews will be in the districts in about a week.
“I’m not quite sure that a person who sells dope in the city of Indianapolis, is really concerned about IMPD. I’ll guarantee you now they should be concerned,” said Riggs.
Riggs detailed a story where recently a woman complained about drug activity in front of her home. She documented her the encounter, and even the amount of guns she has seen during those transactions. This is one of the reasons, why Riggs is making the move.
On Wednesday afternoon, Riggs shared his plan and gave details to undercover officers at IMPD’s training facility at 10th St. and Post Road. Just before Riggs concluded, he took questions from investigators. He also acknowledges that the task at hand will not be easy for those sworn to protect and serve.
