Before this year’s headlines turned to upticks in weekend violence, youth toting guns, and videos of officers using force downtown, one headline was about a plan. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey announced an effort to create his department’s new strategic plan in April.
The plan is the department’s effort to establish a clear vision while seeking community input to create a roadmap for the department over the next five years.
“This plan is about the future of public safety in our city,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey. “It’s grounded in the voices of the officers and professional staff who serve our city every day and in the voices of the community members who rely on us.”
IMPD is paying the consulting firm Taylor Advising $237,000 to lead the plan, and it’s through an online survey, interviews with select community organizations, and police and professional staff that they gathered what people want from the department. Taylor Advising also held in-person listening sessions to gather face-to-face community input.
But out of the seven in-person opportunities for people to give feedback, many rooms sat nearly empty. Engagement in the sessions reflected some residents’ sense of a disconnect between the department and the community it serves, along with a sentiment that the data collected may not accurately portray how the broader Indianapolis population feels about policing in the city.
How IMPD’s listening sessions collected community feedback
“IMPD has to listen,” Northwest District resident Ermund Miller said at the East District listening session. “If they tell us they’re going to get back with us, get back with us, and let’s find a solution. It shouldn’t fall on deaf ears.”
At the sessions, community members were asked to answer questions posted on large pieces of paper. Members like Miller gave their thoughts on roles and priorities, building trust, and communication with IMPD.
Bailey, who became chief in 2024, said he doesn’t think the department created a clear identity after the city’s police department merged with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2007. Taylor Advising said its questioning for community feedback will help shape that identity.
IndyStar attended five of the seven listening sessions across police districts and counted the people in attendance. North District’s meeting had 10 attendees, East District had about 20, Northwest District had five, though one man left before the session began, and Southwest District had about 12.
Taylor Advising held two listening sessions at the downtown library, but IndyStar only attended the late afternoon session. Two people were in attendance.
Attendees’ written responses to prompts were followed by an open dialogue where people shared their experiences with police and offered potential solutions to issues with the department.
Low participation a ‘missed opportunity’ to build relationships
Gregory Meriweather said this isn’t the first time he’s provided feedback on an IMPD plan. The community strategist attended the North District session and said he was the first strategic initiative liaison for IMPD under previous chief Bryan Roach, and served as “a go-between” IMPD and the larger community.
“I’ve seen IMPD reach out to the community multiple times,” Meriweather told IndyStar. “We have to get beyond the all-for-show and no action. We need community members at the table because I believe that’s how you build.”
Meriweather feels that low participation at the listening sessions represents a missed opportunity. It displays a disconnect in participation from people who have no ties to the department, he said, so only organizational leaders and other well-known people have a voice.
“They (IMPD) believe that those people are spokespersons for us and they’re not,” Meriweather said. “The real voices are the people who show up for those meetings and will write those answers and meet to really give perspective.”
Taylor Advising said community participation exceeded 2,000 respondents
In a statement to IndyStar, Taylor Advising President Marla Taylor said more than 2,000 Indianapolis community members and more than 1,000 IMPD officers and professional staff have provided input through surveys, focus group interviews, and listening sessions combined.
“Our team is now focused on analyzing that feedback and gathering critical input from within the department through internal listening sessions and departmental data collection, which will continue over the coming weeks,” Taylor said in a written statement. “The next phase will focus on comprehensive analysis of both qualitative and quantitative feedback, and a draft version of the strategic plan will be released for public comment in November.”
Taylor Advising didn’t share demographic information on who submitted survey responses. IMPD spokesperson Alexa Boylan told IndyStar that they wanted to provide the survey to include input from those who couldn’t attend the listening sessions.
On July 22, IMPD Assistant Chief Catherine Cummings reiterated that this is only the first phase of the plan’s formation, but high-ranking officials are pleased with the data collection. More than 71% of officers and department staff participated in the survey, and Cummings praised community members who participated in the process.
“Especially on the heels of everything going on,” Cummings said, referring to people’s busy lives. “We had 2,000 people show up, and I want to be very positive about the people who did show up because that’s important. I believe we have a lot of people in the community who give us feedback even beyond this.”
In addition to internal and community engagement, IMPD and Taylor Advising are reviewing practices from law enforcement agencies across the country to help inform the plan. Cummings said they plan to meet in the early fall to review what was shared in the survey, listening sessions and focus groups.
A draft version of the strategic plan will be released for public comment in November.
Meriweather said he’s looking forward to the public comment portion of the draft of the plan.
“If I see some progress, I will always celebrate the wins with Chief Bailey and the community,” Meriweather said. “It’s going to take people to mend that gap between police and community.”
The final strategic plan is expected to be implemented beginning in early 2026.
(This story has been updated to provide clarifying information.)
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: City asked for help planning ‘future of public safety.’ Some disappointed by response
Reporting by Jade Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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