IMPD’s ‘most diverse’ recruit class graduates amid national conversation about policing

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s 20th recruit class graduated Friday afternoon.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett called this group of new police officers the most diverse in the history of the department.

The department had a total of 50 new graduates, 17 women and 33 men.

• White: 35
• Black: 3
• Latin: 8
• Other: 4

IMPD is still short of its staffing goal of 1,743 officers. Hogsett directed city funds to increase recruiting officers to better reflect the city’s population.

“While we have recruiters, there was literally no money allocated for the effort of traveling and going out to colleges and universities and trade schools and other communities to try and recruit officers,” said Rick Snyder, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police.

When this class started their training almost seven months ago, the city was a much different place. The department has dealt with controversy following the shooting death of Dreasjon Reed and the use of force toward an Indianapolis woman who violated the countywide curfew in early June amid protests against racial injustice.

“Folks in the neighborhoods tell us they need us they don’t want us going away,” said Snyder. “They are telling us don’t listen to all this stuff they don’t speak for us.”

This class will begin 20 weeks of training in the field before they receive their first assignment.

Nationally last year applications for new police officers was down 63%.