INDIANAPOLIS — A string of May shootings followed by a triple homicide on the last weekend of June shook up the Broad Ripple Village, leading to several safety changes in the area this summer.
Walking around Broad Ripple Ave and surrounding streets, you’ll see additional light towers, public safety cameras and barricades to block of parking lots during the weekend nights.
”The light towers that we’ve had in the evening have definitely helped,” said Jordan Dillon, the Broad Ripple Village Association Executive Director. “As far as the cameras, IMPD has worked with us to place a few cameras in the area in prime locations.”
Dillon said businesses stepped up to close earlier for a time, as well. Several Broad Ripple businesses also joined the B-Link camera program.
”Broad Ripple has somewhere between 30 and 40 of those cameras that have been installed in the area and are continuing to be installed,” Dillon.
As a result, Broad Ripple has seen a much quieter last few months from IMPD’s perspective.
”What we’ve seen and what we’ve heard are people are feeling safe,” said IMPD Lt. Shane Foley. “We’re not seeing a lot of incidents in that area.”
Dillon said quiet can be good and bad, though. She has seen businesses in the village struggle with concerns over safety and construction.
”Right now, it’s quiet but we’re hopeful as people get more comfortable and as time passes a little bit they’re going to give Broad Ripple another chance and come out and spend their time with us,” said Dillon.
Some businesses we’ve talked to agreed, saying they’ve noticed fewer public safety incidents but also fewer customers.
”We want to have a good and prosperous area but none of us are ready to put that ahead of public safety,” Dillon said.
The good news is Butler University is back in school this week, which typically means in influx of college kids to Broad Ripple Ave.
”They bring a lot of great energy,” Dillon said. “The young people that come out and into our bars and restaurants during the days and evenings.”
With an increase in crowd size expected, Foley officers will continue to keep an eye on the area and the safety changes made in June will continue.
”We’re going to continue to have a police presence on Friday and Saturday nights as well as any other nights when there is added activity,” Foley said.
As of right now, there is no update on the investigation into the June triple homicide.
There was initial talk of turning Broad Ripple Ave. into a gun-free zone on the weekends but that plan ran into some roadblocks and stalled.
