Indianapolis homicides reach lowest rate since 2019

Indianapolis ended another year with a decline in homicides, but this time, to a rate not seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of Dec. 31, the city had 171 criminal homicides. That's an encouraging decrease from 2022, when 207 people died in criminal homicides, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The number also marks the first time since 2019 that criminal homicides have dropped below 200. Shootings and violent crime spiked to the highest levels during the Covid-19 pandemic and in 2021.

The stats do not include killings ruled self-defense or people killed by police. When those are factored in, the number of homicides sits at 216 for the year.

Indianapolis' departing police chief, Randal Taylor, said he's pleased with the lower rate as he prepares to leave his post, but feels the number is still too high.

"There's people who have been killed for no good reason," he said. "That's something I will continue to be concerned about."

Cited as part of the reason for the city's decline in killings are newer crime-fighting initiatives such as the continuing work of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force. As of Dec. 12, the force has seized 369 firearms and made 266 arrests.

Non-fatal shootings have also seen a decline. As of Dec. 18, the latest data available by Indianapolis police, the city has seen 47 fewer shooting victims. The number of juvenile victims and perpetrators behind those shootings, however, is on the rise.

Taylor said youth violence remains a concerning problem. He said the public tends to place blame for the outbreak of criminal acts among young people on their parents, but said the issue is more complex and requires the help of agencies outside of police.

"We're trying to figure out what is the police department's role in that and how do we come alongside those who may be better equipped to deal with those issues?" he said.

Whoever becomes the new chief will inherit a rising youth violence rate, Taylor said, along with other problems facing the police department. Despite having the highest budget for officers in years, a steep staffing shortage — to the tune of about 233 officers — remains. Taylor said the shortage not only impacts his overworked officers, but for the community who could see better response times if they were fully staffed.

The next chief will also grapple with the spike in police shootings. Indianapolis officers shot 18 people in separate cases this year. In a series that began in August, police shot more people in seven weeks than in the entirety of 2022. Taylor and police leadership pledged to bring on an outside consultant to review the shootings. Taylor said he's confident the consultant review will go on despite his leaving.

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com