Beech Grove mayor worried about crime in his community
BEECH GROVE, Ind (WISH) — A lifelong resident of Beech Grove, Mayor Dennis Buckley remembers how different things were when he was growing up in this community south of Indianapolis.
“When I was younger, we settled our disputes, we either walked away or got in a fight, and that was the end of the story. Now if you have a conflict with somebody, you pull out a gun and shoot them,” said Buckley.
He says although the numbers don’t point to an increase in violent crime in Beech Grove, there have been high profile incidents.
One person died and three were injured in a shooting at Don Challis Park last summer, and one man was shot to death at an apartment complex on April 25.
“We are susceptible to crime and drugs just like anybody else. We had a homicide Tuesday or Wednesday night. It was senseless and it didn’t to happen,” said Buckley.
Buckley criticized Marion County leaders for not doing enough to curb crime, but he told News 8 Friday that putting more cops on the street isn’t necessarily the answer either.
“People are being killed senselessly and every life is worth living, and when do we put our foot down and say ‘enough is enough?’”
A Second Amendment supporter, the mayor said he’s rethinking whether guns are more of a problem than a solution.
“I have a .38 special and I have it to protect my family, I don’t carry it, but you begin to wonder about this gun violence and all of these high powered weapons.”
A peace walk will be held Saturday morning at Sarah T. Bolton park beginning at 11:00 a.m. People affected by gun violence will speak at the event.