15G: Improve Safety + Security
Promote increased partnerships between the hospitality industry and public safety officials to formulate initiatives that improve safety for our residents and guests. While short-term programs may be necessary to address real and perceived safety challenges, work must also include taking action to solve deeply rooted community issues that are at the root of many issues, such as poverty, inequities, housing and homelessness, mental health and addiction, education and economic mobility.
Value to the Community
Public safety is priority number one for residents and visitors, and efforts to improve safety should extend beyond policing and a focus on crime. While policing is often necessary as an immediate response to harm, community-focused efforts that address root causes can prevent such harms in the first place while allowing more residents to thrive and contribute to the Indy community.Value to the Hospitality Industry
Public safety has emerged as a growing concern among meeting planners booking major events in Indianapolis. While Indy's issues with violence, petty crime, and homelessness may not be as severe as many places, because we are a smaller market that has always been perceived as safe, public safety challenges are more unexpected for visitors to encounter and therefore often more defining of their Indy perception.Updates
- January 2025. Mental Health Response Initiative Unveilled. The Unified Mental Health Response Initiative dispatches police, fire, and emergency medical personnel to 911 calls for mental health. Upon assessing the situation, the most appropriate responder takes the lead. This approach is used when the clinician-led teams are not available for initial response.
- August 2024. Economic Enhancement District Approved. The downtown Economic Enhancement District was approved by the City-County Council, providing about $5.5m annually to support new safety technology, added police support, cleaning crews, homeless outreach workers and the city’s first low-barrier shelter.
- June 2024. City Council approves $80 million investment to improve public safety. City council unanimously passed two fiscal ordinances that will fund $80m in neighborhood level investments in infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life.
- September 2023. Clinician-Led Response Teams. A new team of behavioral health professionals, trained with de-escalation tactics and crisis intervention, will be dispatched to certain mental health-related calls without law enforcement. The goal is to provide more appropriate care while freeing up police to focus on law enforcement.
- November 2022. Increased safety and cleanliness funding. Mayor Hogsett announced $3.5m of funding for increased IMPD bike patrols and security camera grants for businesses, as well as a new downtown-focused DPW cleanliness and maintenance crew. In addition, the city's first 24/7 clinician-led response team will assist those experiencing homelessness.
Key Partners
Confirmed Partners
- Partnerships Under Development
Recommended Partners
Priority + Progress
Active priorities are the top 20% or so of actions that TTI is most focused on and engaged with.
TTI Role
The support role means TTI is actively supporting partners in their implementation of this action. This type of role is typically applicable when partners seek to engage Visit Indy regularly or seek help in an important yet limited role.
