ACLU Calls on Hogsett to Reimagine Role of Police in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – Following Mayor Hogsett’s announcement of IMPD’s use-of-force policy reform Friday, the ACLU of Indiana released the following statement urging Hogsett to commit to reimaging the role police play in Indianapolis.

The following can be attributed to Jane Henegar, executive director at the ACLU of Indiana:

“Mayor Hogsett must commit to reimagining the role police play in our city and that role has to be smaller, more circumscribed, and less funded with tax-payer dollars.

“IMPD’s budget makes up more than 30% of the city’s budget. As Mayor Hogsett works with the city council to begin the 2021 budget process, we must shift resources away from law enforcement and towards Black and Brown community-based initiatives that support true safety, health, and well-being. Budgets are not created in a vacuum. They can be changed through targeted advocacy and organizing. We can demand that our local officials, including city council members and mayors, stop allocating funds for more officers and more militarized equipment.

“While Mayor Hogsett’s proposal to reform IMPD’s use-of-force policy is a critical component, a few trainings and updates to IMPD’s policies just won’t cut it. Indianapolis is hurting. We must stop trying to tweak a rotten system whose roots are riddled with racism. We can only start real change with a bold and shared reimagining of law enforcement policies, practices, and cultures.

“The ACLU of Indiana is committed to supporting Black- and Brown-led community organizations in their work for change and an end to our country’s long nightmare of police violence. It is time our city officials do the same, beginning with a clear commitment to reimagine the role of police in Indianapolis.”