Indy police union calls for backup from state police
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The president of the city’s police union on Wednesday said he wants state troopers to patrol the streets while the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department faces a critical officer shortage.
Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder said a lack of personnel jeopardizes the safety of remaining officers, as well as the public. He pointed to this past weekend’s spinning events , in which participants attacked responding officers and state troopers, as proof, as well as last week’s incident in which someone shot at two officers conducting an investigation. Snyder pointed to recent testimony by Chief Chris Bailey that IMPD now has fewer than 1,400 officers, the lowest level since the department was formed in 2007.
Snyder said more than 450 of IMPD’s officers already have more than 20 years of service on the force, and more than 250 of those officers are age 52 or older. He said this means IMPD could lose another 200 officers to retirement by the middle of next year. To stave off short-term staffing problems, he said he is asking Indiana State Police to provide extra troopers to patrol the city’s streets.