Deputy Mayor: Anti-Homicide Initiatives Could Require Tax Hike

INDIANAPOLIS -- New anti-homicide initiatives that were spurred by a recent surge in killings in Indianapolis could require a tax increase, Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell said Monday.

Toward the end of a four-day period in which 11 people were slain, Mayor Bart Peterson on Saturday convened an emergency meeting of a criminal justice planning council, which decided, among other things, to require 75 percent of street police officers to work 10-hour shifts instead of eight.

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The cost of implementing many of the planning council's ideas could reach up to $12 million, the city said. With Peterson set to present a city budget proposal for 2007 to the City-County Council on Monday night, Campbell told 6News' Jack Rinehart that funding for the initiatives needs to be established.

"That's something we're going to have to talk about over the next four or five weeks as we're debating this budget," Campbell said. "We've got to find the revenue somewhere. We don't know if it's a tax increase just yet, but it's got to be on the table."

Officials said the extended street-officer hours will create overlapping shifts, which they hope will give police a higher profile during peak crime hours.

The planning council's other plans include:

Reassigning drug interdiction units from interstate highway duty to patrols in central Indianapolis with an emphasis on areas known for drugs and violence.

Instructing the Indianapolis Police Department's traffic branch to focus not only on traffic violations, but also vehicle searches for weapons, drugs and contraband.

Performing analyses of the city's homicides with the intention of preventing possible future, related crimes, such as revenge killings.

Having the Marion County Sheriff's Department reassign up to 18 detectives to street patrol.

Having the sheriff's department and the police department conduct more warrant sweeps in areas where homicides have happened.

Starting an evening drug court to expedite cases.

Expedite the lease of 200 additional jail beds to avoid the early release of inmates.