Police working to get illegal guns off the streets of Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police are working to get illegal guns off the streets of Indianapolis. On Monday police found two AK-47s and a glock handgun during a traffic stop near 30th and Post Road.
This is all part of a larger effort to help prevent and reduce crime in Indianapolis. Mayor Joe Hogsett announced plans last week to invest money in community based programs and to go after violent criminals with illegal guns and drugs.
So far this year police said officers recovered more than 2,400 guns involved in criminal investigations from semi automatic handguns to rifles.
Data provided by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows a good number of the recoveries are taking place on the city’s east side.
“They say guns, gun, guns are you know the reason crime is going up there’s more guns than people,” said Isaac Matthews, who lives in Indianapolis.
Matthews moved to Indianapolis from Milwaukee years ago and said he read about the mayor’s plan for violence prevention.
“Joe Hogsett I hope he can really really make some changes here soon it just takes one little push in the right direction to get something going,” said Matthews.
The push comes after 2017 ties last year for the deadliest year on record. The mayor talked about illegal guns last week and how he wants to establish a Crime Gun Intelligence Center so they can connect shell casings and firearms in real time to help police.
“It doesn’t matter how many guns you gathered or the people you try to scare I am not intimidated we are not intimidated,” said Mayor Hogsett.
24-Hour News 8 learned from IMPD, guns recovered are tested and entered into a national database to see if the gun is connected to other crimes.
“Guns are going to be there always you got to really look inside you know deeper into the community you know the homes the jobs everything needs to be accounted for,” said Matthews.
IMPD recovered around 2,800 guns in 2016 and data shows most of the recoveries came from the east and north side of the city.