Crime spike concerns Indianapolis mayor
Next month, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson will be inducted as president of the Washington-based National League of Cities (NLC). Since his mayoral election in 1999, Peterson has worked to create more jobs, improve neighborhoods, fight crime and reform city schools — issues common in cities nationwide. American City & County talked with Peterson about the effects of crime in Indianapolis and the importance of partnerships with local government organizations.
Q: What are the major issues affecting cities?
A: It depends on what size city, but crime is certainly an issue in most larger cities and a bigger issue this year than it has been in a long time. That is the top of my agenda here in Indianapolis. It’s not the only thing we’re working on, but it’s right at the top of the agenda for most major American cities that I’ve heard about.
Q: Recent reports show an increase in violent crime in large cities. How has Indianapolis been affected by violent crime?
A: We’ve seen an increase in crime, particularly violent crime, this year. We had a spike in crime back in the late 1990s [and], in fact, set the all-time record for homicides in the city back in 1998. For the last six years at least, it’s been at a considerably lower level than that record. Then, it has jumped up again this year. We’ve instituted a number of measures, [such as] putting more police officers on the streets and really just trying to saturate the streets with police officers.
Q: When you were elected, you promoted your plan of action and goals for your term — the Peterson Plan. Are there elements of the plan that could be used in other cities?
A: I had been around politics and government for some time but it was the first time that I had ever run [for office] myself. I really thought that it was important that people understand that I really knew what I wanted to do if I got elected. The Peterson Plan was intended to serve as the navigational equipment for our administration so that we would know where we were headed and we would keep moving in that direction.
Q: Have you considered taking control of city schools? Why or why not?
A: My view is — and I think [the view] of most mayors being elected today — [education is] too important for you to stay out of even if you don’t have any direct legal authority. [Mayoral oversight of schools] usually comes when it’s perceived that the school system has hit rock bottom [and there is no other way to implement change.] What we’ve seen is [schools] tend to be run much better from an administrative standpoint. But still, it’s fundamentally the same system [with] somebody else in charge.
Q: Do you plan to join with other local government organizations on your initiatives this year?
A: We are so much stronger when we are together than when we’re separate. The importance of partnering with those other organizations is almost paramount. [NLC is] a very good, strong organization. We represent over 18,000 cities, towns and villages across America and somewhat in excess of 200 million people who live in those communities. [That] gives us a lot of clout, but when we join together with NACo and the U.S. Conference of Mayors and ICMA and others, our clout multiplies and we are even more effective. When [we are] united … it’s pretty amazing what can be accomplished.
