Captain Shane Foley, an 18-year Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department veteran, has been appointed to lead the city’s downtown district. Over the past half year, the district has seen some high-profile crimes from youth violence over July Fourth weekend to a recent triple shooting at a nightclub.
Foley said he’s keenly aware that crime in downtown Indianapolis tends to grab public attention and can influence perception of the city’s economic hub.
“Downtown being a place that’s safe for people to work, live and visit, is important to me personally,” Foley told IndyStar Nov. 14. “It’s not just a job or a title to me.”
Foley will take the reins as commander beginning Nov. 25. Foley has served in a myriad of leadership roles at IMPD, most recently as the north district’s day shift captain. He previously worked as Chief Chris Bailey’s executive officer and as the public affairs team’s supervisor.
“Commander Foley brings a strong record of service and a dedication to building a safer and more connected downtown,” Bailey said in a news release.
Foley said he looks forward to meeting with downtown residents and business owners to hear about their public safety concerns. Those concerns could include crime, he said, as well as traffic safety or emergency housing access.
“I realize I’m not going to be able to make everybody happy. There’s competing interests, there’s a lot of stakeholders,” Foley said. “But it’s important for me to have a good, solid understanding of who those stakeholders are, what they want, and how we can all work together to make downtown not only a safer place, but a place where people feel safer.”
He’s planning to hold listening sessions early in his tenure as commander.
Foley’s appointment comes at a turbulent time for downtown Indianapolis’ public image. On Nov. 2, a triple shooting at Hovito Ultra Lounge, a bar steps from downtown district headquarters, left three men injured. Mayor Joe Hogsett blamed the incident on an “irresponsible bar owner,” while Attorney General Todd Rokita called for National Guard deployment on social media.
Bringing in the Guard hasn’t been a real consideration, Bailey has previously said.
“Chief Bailey’s made it clear that (National Guard intervention) is not necessary,” Foley said.
Similar calls for outside intervention in Indianapolis came earlier this year, after a July 5 mass shooting killed two teens and injured five more. Gov. Mike Braun said at the time he was open to some type of state government involvement in Indianapolis, though that has yet to happen.
In response, Mayor Joe Hogsett defended his administration’s handling of crime, citing an overall decline in gun violence over the last three years.
Foley said he would like to see the decline continue.
“We want those trends to continue…there’s no place in our country that can be immune from incidents, including downtown,” Foley said. “But we’re going to do everything we can to make sure it’s a safer place.”
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘It’s not just a job to me’: Captain Shane Foley tapped to lead IMPD’s downtown district
Reporting by Ryan Murphy, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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