Shreve safety plan includes previously approved gun ordinance
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Republican mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve on Thursday said while his public safety plan might look similar to his opponent’s, he is in a far better position to implement it.
Shreve, a longtime vocal critic of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s public safety record, released his own public safety plan in Broad Ripple at an event just yards away from the spot where three people were gunned down last month. His plan includes hiring a full-time public safety director (something Hogsett’s predecessors did), and 300 new police officers. In addition, Shreve said he would encourage veteran police officers to stay both through financial incentives as well as public shows of support, such as attending police roll calls once a month.
“The mayor is the chief executive of our city,” Shreve said. “When things go badly in your enterprise, it’s your responsibility. Mayor Hogsett thinks and acts like a politician, not as a chief executive.”
Most notably, Shreve’s plan includes raising the minimum age to buy a firearm in Indianapolis from 18 to 21, ending permitless carry in the city limits, and banning the sale of military-style rifles. On Monday, at Hogsett’s urging, the City-County Council approved an ordinance to do precisely that, though both council members and the mayor are quick to admit the measure is unenforceable unless state lawmakers repeal Indiana’s firearm preemption law.
Shreve said the difference between his proposal and Hogsett’s is he is already talking to legislative leaders and rank-and-file state lawmakers about the need to allow Indianapolis to set its own gun laws. He said he would begin lobbying the legislature on day one of his administration if he is elected. Shreve acknowledged the plan will be a tough sell in the Republican-dominated General Assembly, but said a Republican mayor would be in a much better position to negotiate.
“There’s not complete disagreement about what we need to do and where we are going on these fronts. There’s a complete divergence in how we are going to go about getting it done,” he said.
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s campaign manager, Blake Hesch, said in a statement, “We had been looking forward to a debate over Jefferson’s public safety plans, but unfortunately we are still waiting for him to announce any. Today’s speech was a hodgepodge of repackaged programs that already exist and meaningless platitudes.”
Other components of Shreve’s plan include adding better lighting, cameras, gunshot detection systems in crime hotspots, intensifying efforts to recruit IMPD officers from within the city, and implementing programs to reduce the chances of recidivism.