Breaking: Indy's Murder Rate Jumps & Dead Man on Sidewalk Monday Morning

BEHIND THE MORNING NEWS HEADLINES with KIM WELLS

Indianapolis’ murder rate is at a seven-year high. According to IMPD, there’ve been 124 murders and 16 justifiable homicides so far in 2013. The city’s bloodiest year was 1998 when there were 162 homicides.

IMPD Police Chief Rick Hite released a statement. In it he said, “Indianapolis has been and will continue to be a safe city…any intentional death by violent means is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our city.” Hite noted that violent crime and non-fatal aggravated assaults are actually down despite 2013’s spike in murders. He also gave a glimpse into the backstories that police investigations have uncovered, “a majority of these incidents involved both victims and suspects who were engaged in unlawful behavior which precipitated a murder.”

Here’s Hite’s analysis of this deadly 2013 criminal activity showed the following:

· Of the 109 murder victims (as of 12/2/13), local adult criminal histories were found for 86 (79%) of the victims. These 86 people accounted for 287 adult felony arrests. Where criminal histories were found:

Ø 36 (42%) had a previous weapons arrest

Ø 52 (60%) had a previous drug arrest

Ø 64 (74%) had a previous crimes against persons arrest

· Of the 80 suspects where a name was known, prior local adult criminal histories were found for 65 (81%) of the subjects. These 65 people accounted for 166 adult felony arrests:

Ø 25 (38%) had a previous weapons arrest

Ø 38 (58%) had a previous drug arrest

Ø 49 (75%) had a previous crimes against persons arrest

· 35 (32%) of the 109 murders were known to have been motivated by drugs

LATEST INVESTIGATIONS: IMPD arrived in the 3300 block of North Wallace Monday morning just before 8:30 a.m. finding a young black male, who officers say “appears to be in his 20’s”, laying dead on a sidewalk. This weekend was also marred by violence. Metro police are still busy investigating three unrelated shooting deaths that happened within a 24-hour stretch of each other. They include: the first victim, 18-year-old Markeewann Ward, who was shot Saturday evening at a home on Graceland Avenue; a second man, 23-year-old Dominique Butler who was shot on North Gladstone Avenue a few hours later; and a third victim 47-year-old Terry Day who was found with head injuries Saturday night. Police are asking for the public’s help in the cases by urging you to call 317-262-TIPS if you have any information on any of these cases.

Hite acknowledges that the solution to the city’s rising murder rate is multifaceted. He said, “we are not going to arrest our way out of this problem”. The law enforcement veteran said the force has made an impact by focusing the police department’s efforts on prevention, intervention, and suppression but it will take partners and involved and committed citizens. “We, as a community need to work together and identify the social issues associated with violent crime in Indianapolis and address it proactively,” said the chief.

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kimwellsmedia @kwellscomm 123012

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