INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Joe Hogsett and Jefferson Shreve on Sunday agreed on several issues facing Indianapolis’ Black community, but disagreed on how to address them.

In a debate sponsored by the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, both mayoral candidates said IMPD needs more officers and they would work to hire them. Hogsett, a Democrat seeking a third term as mayor, said half of IMPD’s officers have now joined the force since he took office in 2016. Hogsett said department leadership under his administration have prioritized recruiting among women and communities of color to help the police department look more like the city it serves.

“Too many of our neighborhoods feel like they’re being policed and not being protected and served,” said Hogsett. “We’ve got to change that mindset in that area as well, and when we do, I think you’ll see an increase in diversity across the board across the police department.”

Shreve, a Republican and a former member of the City-County Council, said IMPD’s personnel woes are due ultimately to veteran officers choosing to leave because they do not feel supported by city leaders or by the rest of the criminal justice system. Shreve said better retention rates would mean IMPD would have enough officers to engage in community policing, including taking part in regular community meetings.

“We have to have sufficient bench strength in the number of officers to have the bandwidth for them to be forward-deployed in a true community-policing posture, not just turning up when there is a violent occurrence,” said Shreve.

When pressed further on how to balance the need for protection against the risk of over-policing, Hogsett touted IMPD’s acquisition of body-worn cameras during his administration. He said the City-County Council next week will vote on a budget that would put dash cameras in all IMPD vehicles. Shreve said those moves are laudable, but came too slowly. Shreve said the city would acquire technology related to police transparency and accountability more quickly under his watch.

The candidates struck similar tones on education, food deserts, and housing. Charter schools in the city of Indianapolis are regulated by the Indianapolis Charter School Board. Six of the board’s nine members are mayoral appointees. Despite the high-profile closure of at least two charter schools since the 2023-2024 school year began, both Shreve and Hogsett said they would not pursue a moratorium on any new charter school approvals. On the housing issue, Hogsett pointed to the city’s recent acquisition, using a combination of state and city money, of a tract of land southeast of downtown for the construction of a low-barrier shelter. Shreve said he would continue that project if he were elected, but added he felt the city should have communicated sooner and more clearly about its intentions with the people who live and work nearby.

Significant portions of the city are considered food deserts, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of Indianapolis. Hogsett said he was proud of his work establishing programs meant to bring healthy food options to food deserts. He credited the recent opening of Indy Fresh Market to those efforts. Shreve said the city would be better off finding disused stores to turn into bodegas or other small grocery stores.

Early voting begins on Wednesday. WISH-TV will host the first live, televised debate of the race at 6 p.m. Oct. 23.