Indianapolis hires first round of ‘peacemakers’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The City of Indianapolis hopes to end violence with a new program.

Mayor Joe Hogsett has hired 35 peacemakers as part of the grassroots gun violence reduction efforts that will cost $150 million.

The peacemakers finished training this week and will start the job on Monday. Fifteen more peacemakers are expected to be hired soon.

Last year, there were 271 homicides. That broke the record from 2020 with 245 homicides.

So far this year, police said they have arrested at least 75 people. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said the city is at the same point that it was at this time last year.

“It seems like after this point last year in January we saw another spike that took us into the 20s in the month of January,” explained Bailey.

The peacemakers are comprised of three different positions: interrupter, life coach and outreach worker. All are required to have connections and experience in the communities they will serve.

Mayor Joe Hogsett joined Daybreak on Thursday morning to discuss the move.