It could even everyone. It is Wednesday. AUGUST 27th 2025. It is 05:30pm, when the Public Assembly room, the city County City County building. Welcome to the public Safety Code does committee of the City County Council. Start our meeting off with introductions on the first Row heart. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, my name is Michael Paul Hart representing District 20. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Josh being district. 21. Thank you. MISTER Chair Brian Mowery District. 25 and thank you. Cause on the second Row Council Perkins. Thank you, MR. Chaired up the College Perkins, the extreme policy. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, bring the District Thank you. CHAIRMAN Jessica McCormick district 16 West Side. Thank you, CHAIRMAN Roberts and Washington warns townships district accounts into might left counselor
leaving. Thank you so much. CHAIRMAN Robinson, Chris, to Carlino District 11, far West Side Speedway in Claremont. Good evening, everyone to graze. Thanks, MR. CHAIRMAN District 9 on the east side of Indianapolis. Thank you. Thank you, MR. Chair frankness carries as Southeast District 19. Thank you council and we were Robinson District. One. Sure the committee. We do have to proposals this evening prior to our 3 budget hearing proposals. I'm sorry, presentations. First proposal to 44 2025. Septa to 79 Division, 9 other Vice Co converting the generals board to the general orders Advisory board calendar proposals, AUGUST 12th 2025. This is a proposal to spy Council heart.
Also heart. Thank you, MR. Members of the council, you've got a couple little packet that I put together for you guys. One is the smart in smart in the Round table on public safety, a letter. Then the female unos for the next proposal. So need for that one right The reason I give you these things all new to him. As talk through my statement this evening. But I just want to open up and say that, you know, these just like last night and our other committee and the 2 this evening. I don't just sit around and start thinking about, you know, I'm going to change these things, right? Everybody always comes to me with these ideas in this case, these ideas generated from the community. They generated from
business leaders. They generated from our public safety leadership. And as a part of this report. So tonight, members of this committee. I just want to discuss why I'm I'm bringing this proposal in front of you, which is I've heard directly from impd officers for members of the community about how the current structure of the general orders board impacts morale and ultimately public safety officers have told me they feel their hands are tied, unable to act decisively when circumstances demand it. And at the lack of agility has that real consequences on our neighborhoods. And I'll give you a couple examples of things that that happened recently where we had some spitting or ordinances. Recently we had a curfew
violations or even talking about those things tonight. Those eventually have to make their way through the general orders board. And information that is given think given to me is that there are layers beyond us way when we even make changes that impact officers. And that's where the agility comes into play that I'm talking about. So in some cases it yet been brought to attention that this board, the General Motors board has failed to make quorum because citizen members did not attend, which is left are chief in a place unable to adapt to policy and real time. 2 events that are occurring in Indianapolis and what what we need is a city the ability for the chief to have that agility to adapt. When things do
arise. So the goal here, I want to be very clear that the goal here is not to silence the public voiced by any means. There's there's no intention. This does not eliminate the general orders board. It is. It is quite the opposite. I under under this proposal idea, but again, came from leadership and as well as rank and file members under this proposal, the chief of police who is appointed by the mayor, that the city of Indianapolis elected and then confirmed by the council who all of we then confirm chief would become responsible and held accountable for submitting amending creating or rescinding any general order giving that flexibility and agility to him as well as that responsibility. Now for
the advisory board, it would still review all of those things. All of those general words where the rescinded or amended or created they would still provide their feedback ensure that the community's perspective would remain a part of this process. The difference that is is with this proposal is that the accountability and the decision-making authority rest with the chief. That is the difference. So this proposal, again, I've been, you know, reiterating this point again, but it did not recall it clear in did not originate from the fop to something that I do not target isolation. It grew out of conversations with officers and other leaders of the unit. And most recently the came from this public safety roundtable that I hosted on JULY 10th that copy. You have
copy of it here. So I've spoken with other communities, trusted partners. So there's another letter that you guys will have looks like. This is a couple signatures on the back. Hendrix property group who is, you know, the developers of bottle works. Also they are doing the. Circle center all project downtown are supportive of the suggestion and another proposals that we have and front of us is evening Keystone construction. I think most of us know the level attention and commitment they have for the city of Indianapolis. They are seeing the need for this level of agility in our city and each of them expressed their concern with the current process and agreed that we need to change. They see that this is to them the way the best way to move forward is that the chief should be empowered to lead while the board continues to provide
valuable input. So colleagues, the sentiment is kuz been clear to me from officers both in leadership and on the streets, community leaders and business leaders alike that our city needs to take a more effective and accountable system as that. This proposal as a practical step in that direction, ensuring that both the public input and the strong leadership that we have elected or appointed from elected officials, Li's, Indianapolis and our public safety. And is what I have to share, MR. CHAIRMAN that could lead to heart. I'm sorry. Thank you. Council heart. Before. The comments in question from our Collier do want to make one quick point. So you mentioned a public safety leaders, police officers, committee members, rank and file Comey trusted
partners who all come to you of Reagan's proposal. And I do find it. I've came to me as the chair, not one of these trusted folks that you mention. I talked to impd quite a bit. Not one of these individuals. Committee members record fall. Middle came to me as chair about this proposal. Secondly. I also point met with different public about 2 weeks ago in person and also met with property folks in person a week ago in new the mission to me. So I do see other neighbor, though, but I do find it. I was chair the committee that not one person, not one e-mail, not one phone call that when Tex has come to me about this proposed and the need to change it. So I'm not questioning anything you're saying here. Find it odd that these to with in-person Jennifer personally, little Britain saying that also meet
with the people, Hendricks property group. We have a new letter here did mention it and then the officers talked to officers quite a bit. We must came to be. So do want to acknowledge I have this first. I've heard of this ground swell of people when this change. So. With that being said, it comes to question councils. Uppercuts. Thank MR. CHAIRMAN, those sentiment that you just shared. Also not been contacted by any of these individuals as a support for But I do want to raise a couple of points, one of which is interesting to me at what point we want to empower the chief to be able to do his job. Remember having a conversation in this chamber less than a year ago when we're talking about police misconduct and what the chief
is empowered to do and not to do so. It's interesting that we're bringing this up now as a way to eliminate this particular board. Unfortunately, I think many of us have seen the news today in Minneapolis is back in the news for the for the tragedy that happened this morning at the school shooting most to drag our minds back to 2020 that this board came about as a result off some of the things that many of us sat at home while the pandemic was happening and on the street. This was a response to some of the national outcry around police brutality. And so I want us to play that back in our minds and understand that
as a city in a county, we made a decision that fought stands deeper and more impactful than many cities across the United States. That painted the in protests and and also raise the police budget that Indianapolis and Marion County made a decision to accept board that has had deep impact. If the concern he is about for him, it is my understanding that on to this new leadership this year, when the board of met that they have had Corum. And so I think taking away the opportunity from our citizens still have a voice in this is walking back and we can in clear and intentional way in which city has decided that we want to make sure that our our public is a part of off off police in. And so I am asking my colleagues to vote against
this proposal tonight. Thank coach uppercuts, Custer Carolina, which is a sponsor of the original proposal. Cuts are coming. Thank you, CHAIRMAN. Sponsor coauthor and advocate. Really, I believe that. This proposal progressive in nature before we reform the general orders board, it was 3 individuals. It's now 7 it had to meet. It was allowed to meet behind closed doors that now has to meet. And follow open door law, which is important for transparent and public community policing. But what's more important, I think, is that. As it stands, it preserves the agility of our chief. Our chief has the ability to create so peas in real time as as things come up and he has done so and as have previous chiefs as well. I think it's important if you've ever been to one of the
meetings or watched them recorded online that they're now publicly available. You will see that that preservation of the police, the police chief's power and autonomy. Is there. But bolster support in my opinion of the chief. And it includes community in a way that reduces ambiguity for our officers to say that officers are currently experiencing ambiguity. I don't disagree with that statement, but that was a pre-existing condition. And as times change and has protocols are constantly changing our general orders recipes are living breathing documents. I'm sure there were revisions that our chief constantly considering as are members of the board. It's important to allow our our public safety officials to be
public safety officials. But when it comes time to have legal considerations for public safety to make sure that our officers are not only protecting themselves, but protecting our citizens in the city, reducing the amount of you know, legal cases that are brought against the city, which has the fiscal body is critically important to us. But more importantly, I think that ongoing changes require support and input and collaboration. And I know our current chief is one of the most collaborative people in the city of Indianapolis. And I know he welcomes collaboration in his decision-making oftentimes. And that's a question that I
have. MISTER CHAIRMAN, where is the chief in that laundry list of of support that that's here in on the letter? I'd love to hear input from our chief. I value his input and professional experience. But officers are often punished for following the wrong protocol because there is ambiguity in language procedure whether or not there's a weapon involved whether or not you have to pursue whether or not to make certain calls in the heat of the moment in a dangerous time. It's a lot our officers are making a lot of decisions and these policies are important and the public eye should be on them. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thank you concert so that the chief is present, but we're going to wait. Let's get to a few more questions. Give chief just to
prepare his Took a few more question. The committee, little marriage. Thank you, Mr. Chair additional point out the fact I think the narrative right now has been word. This is a distant not getting rid of the sport altogether dissembling in. That's not the case. This is just simply taking it from from where it is now to an advisory role. Pfizer passes still have the same ability to meet soon Bility too. Suggest changes and the Senate bill is to do what they've been doing thus far. However, it would then fall to the chief and the as it should fall to the chief to run his department as he sees Fit. Thank you. Thank you. Leader comes to question council is council boots. Thank you, MR. Just a couple
quick points. One being a practical issue and that is my understanding is the biggest gripe is that we often let Corum so that the body cannot operate cannot pass, cannot deny, cannot adopt new policy because a lack of Corum. That's a practical issue. Not one that they justifies killing killing the wrong word, modifying into an advisory role. I think we handle that from a practical standpoint. Just assign the right people will hold them accountable. Secondly, I'm not sure even if this was transform into an advisory role, how would Moved the needle improving safety? How does it improve the service of our police force, protecting our citizens by making
advisory roles like question that. So be voting no for this proposal and encourage my fellow colleagues to do. Likewise. Thank you. Thank you, counselor counselor being. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, you know, when we first discuss the General Motors board back in 2020. I was very new around here. I think it was probably a month or 2 after a been caucus to none. It was a pretty steep learning curve throughout that process. But I still remember when there probably hundreds of police officers and their family in this chamber asking us to vote against that situations have changed a lot since 2020. We're different city than we were back. Then. I think the culture around law enforcement's different than it was back. Then an echo counselor boost just said about citing the right person in the right role and being
able to hold them accountable. We've done that. We have the right chief and Chief Bailey. He someone that I think everybody in this community respects and admires. And we have the ability to hold him accountable. The mayor has the ability to hold them accountable. The elected leaders of this city have said he's the right person to lead this department. So I think giving him the ability to actually leave his department to control the general orders within his department. It's something that would clearly be a benefit to our city. Another thing that I think we need to make abundantly clear because and I hope it's been said, I hope this has not been set out of malice or to purposefully deceive anyone. And what this proposal actually does for multiple people say that this eliminates the General Motors
board. It does not. It doesn't change the makeup of the General Motors board doesn't change. We can meet. It doesn't change the open or laws around it. All it does is says they can make advisory opinions to the chief. Thank Thank you, counselor Counselor Delaney. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, my comments are along the lines of my colleague, counselor Boots. You know, it. I have not heard from the same groups that you have. I took a moment to reach out to impd personally to ask about this, but haven't had any groundswell for my constituents. Are others across the county that said we have systemic issues with our general orders board that being said, I do know there are issues with speed and quorum and procedural issues. And so I would be open to
media other ideas to help fix some of the inner workings of the board. But I don't think at this point in time that it needs a wholesale change. I look to what my other colleagues said that, you know what we need to think back to when when this was passed in 2020 and what was going on and some of the undercurrents. And so with that, I will be opposing it in it. Current Thank you. Bigger council. Little Heart. I'm sorry. Also hurts our community outreach. Thank you, MR. Charity. I just wanted to allude to a couple things. One, it was a road and i remember the hundreds of blue shirts being here that night as well. And I just want to remind everybody that we are still having difficulties attracting and retaining officers. And this is, you
know what I'm being told as a reason, not the only reason a reason for that. When officers have a choice to go here somewhere else. That is a consideration that they make. But I do want to reiterate because I did hear counselor Perkins make the comment that we're eliminating the board. We are not eliminating the board and how this improve safety is that it gives the agility to the chief makes us a quicker city to the individual that we've all appointed to do. So the last thing I'd say is it sounded like was the CHAIRMAN. We're going to hear from the chief on this. It's a just a little disappointing to hear guys that you would vote against it before even hearing from the chief with I was some good things to say. There some things to say that should be
taken into consideration. Thank you, counselor. Any additional comments. Council Perkins, 2 things. I think we all like the chief. I think we think we have the right chief for the right season. All right. This is not about the chief. This is about a system. And the system is worth accountability from the community. And so I want to do to kind of nail that down. This is not an individual that we're making a decision against a system that we need to make sure that is held accountable. We also need to make sure that issues around recruiting is across the country. This is not just an issue Mary County recruiting offices is an issue for most major cities across the country. And so time this particular issue, reason why folks that want to come work in Indianapolis in Marin County, I don't think that's
fair because we're seeing the same issue across the entire country. Thank you, MR. Counsell Perkins Council moves. Just briefly, I did speak to the police chief personally communicated with him to get his thoughts. So I did talk to him before made my decision. And I think following counselor Perkins comments. I view this is a much bigger picture than just a board. To me. This is about building trust back and impd from a community which we lost in 2020. And I think that lack of trust has been cancerous to the growth of our department and has led to our low enrollment or inefficiency or inability to attract and anything that points the needle toward building trust, in my opinion, is the way to go. And I think this does
that. I don't disagree with your practical points Council hard. I think they're well placed and well thought through. I just think the big picture at this point in time, we need to rebuild trust. And think keeping board as is, is the best way to go. The constantly. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'd also like to add that I was able to speak the chief of police prior to the hearing this evening was able to discuss my my thoughts and his thoughts about this I agree with counselor boots that this is something that I think. We could discuss further. I this is the first, however that I had heard of your public forum. And so I think maybe maybe this is the time that we do. Trying do more public forums, invite more feedback about what's happening if we need to reopen
the discussion again, it sounds like that. That's where you think we're at is we need to we need to talk about this again. 5 years later after Twenty-twenty. So maybe that's where we're at. But I do think the current form is not the right forum for for this time. Thank you. Thank you. To Thank you, MR. Chair. One thing I want to bring up tonight and we've heard in the past, especially from p PRESIDENT Rick Snyder is that there has been a lack of trust and rank and file officers within impd and the leadership here in the city. We've talked a lot about 2020 and what that's done. Saw Twenty-twenty happened. We saw riots in the city. The city burned down almost. Police officer told to stand down. They can do their job. We need to give the police officers in the city the ability to do
their job and the ability to have a leader in their department that can tell them how and when to do the job. Roseanne, a citizen advisory, our Citizens, General Motors Board. I did a quick Google search. I couldn't find any other examples of a citizen. General orders board outside of being an advisory capacity MAY be the chief knows of any others that Iran more than a year, but an advisory capacity. But I think this proposal tonight is something that brings us back to a position where when we're facing a public safety crisis in the city with with homicide with who used violence and we wish look at the the curfew You know, we need to give officers the support. They know we have their back and we heard from the person that leads those officers and their union saying that they don't
have that full ability to trust us at this moment. We need to change that. We need to make the city a safe city and make this back take this back to where it can be something that the chief has the ability to do his job without waiting on a qorum without waiting on someone. Some citizen advisory board to tell him how to do his job. I think he was selected for this job for a reason. I think he knows what he's doing. I have the utmost confidence in Chief Bailey in what he does for the department. He's done amazing things so far. And I think we all can agree that he has been a very shining light in the department and what he's done. So I tonight I think this is an opportunity for us to give control back to the folks that are actually doing the job. Thank you. Thank to Marry Council Government. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN. So hearing hearing from colleagues, I think. What we like in the conversation is. Maybe that there is a change going, but we can work to address the issues that we have with quorum. Making the group work. I do appreciate what can certainly said about. You know, it's been 5 years and reevaluating in us assessing any policy that we have in place is important, right? So
we shouldn't just put it in place and never look. Got it again. So I appreciate the conversation. I think maybe before turning into an advisory board, we should look at what can we do to improve the efficiency or the efficacy of the current group that we have in the way that they they operate then continue this conversation. So I don't think it's an end of the conversation. I think it's one that we need to continue. See where we can makes fixes or address issues. And then ultimately if it doesn't work, then this could be the route that we go. Thank you, counselor counselor Cunningham. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I wouldn't just comment as we continue to
refer to some of them are recent policy. Regarding curfew, which is next on the agenda. And I want to make sure we're not conflating 2 issues. You know, the chief. Doesn't have the ability to make laws. He he runs our law enforcement arm. And so it's really important when we consider. Amending the curfew. We're doing that tonight. Not the chief. So there's soapy or general order that could have existed. It had to be political. Will. And again, I appreciate my my colleague, counselor Perkins comment about this not being about the chief because it's not this is about systems. And so I think it's important that even in
the current model, so to go regress it and make it an advisory role, we still have to have political will to exist in order to institute change Org. Give. The chief of police an amended the law with which he can enforce and that our law enforcement can enforce. We are a team. So whether the chief and and this board approaches us. The fiscal a legislative body or approaches the administration with changes that they see they need to make. Then then it's our job to get the policy on the books or to amend the policies on the books as well. So I want to underscore the fact that the curfew, peace was political. Well, I believe it was my colleague CHAIRMAN Leroy Robinson, author that legislation. Thank Council Casa Grace. Was MR. CHAIRMAN, I just want always appreciated
the original intent of this board. The hard work of my colleagues, council Lee and some of the others that worked this because gave our citizens an opportunity to be to play a meaningful role creating those are orders. And so I do recall the time and I do believe that this particular amendment could begin a crack. And what I believe was a win for the citizens of Indianapolis to have a say in who the general orders. So I want to ask my colleagues to to not support vote. No, because we do not want to remove the voice for our citizens on this particular. Well, General Motors Board, thank you. Thank you. Counselor Counselor Heart. Thank you, MR. I guess I would follow up with the you know what I think is a
different than what you guys think. It's it's a to me. It's it's an opportunity to, you know, change the perception of Indianapolis. And that goes back to the conversations I've had with various individuals. I mean, we get we get stats, but that's the difference in the way people feel not everybody necessarily feels that they're safe, Indianapolis. And that's the perception that we need to change. And if we can start making some changes here that can make people feel more safe in Indianapolis. I think that's the direction that we need to start going. Thank you, counselor. We the before we have public testimony was quickly read the statement. Please. Have come up and share starts. Before we open up lot. Florida public comments. We like to remind committee members and the public a few ground rules so everyone can have a fair
chance to speak and be heard. It is important that we each observe the following rules first. Each speaker will be limited to 2 minutes. Second, any public comments most recently relate to the agenda item under consideration. There's speakers who stray from the item under consideration are become unduly repetitious, maybe has to move to the next point are concluding comments. Finally attendees to cause disruptions that prevent the committee from proceeding to tonight's agenda in a recently efficient manner will be removed. Please remember to some types of certain speech or incitement to violence are not protected by the First Amendment at all. We would deal with those issues if they come up, we don't think they will. Now MISTER Chair, if a committee member ask for consent to that these rules we can proceed with public comment. Incident. Thank you as clerk. Thank you. Council chief, you've heard the comments from MR. Colleagues here and also from
the sponsor. This proposal you a code share your thoughts if you see in transitional last few years. CHAIRMAN Members of the committee. Impd has always valued working closely with our community. To gather feedback on how officers serve and interact with our neighbors and we remain committed to exploring new ways. Officers can. Make those connections and deliver the highest level of service to the people that we are sworn to serve. I would say this. One of the things that was brought is that it is equally important. And I've learned, as we've started to explore the strategic plan. Spoke to our community members and we spoke to our officers. That those with law it expertise. Have to have a voice and shaping public
policy Department policy. And that officers feel supported and heard. And that their perspective. Its listen to to help ensure policies are practical, effective and fair because we asked them. As chief of police, I'm accountable to an elected mayor. I am confirmed by unelected council and any point I can stand before you answer to you directly for the questions you have about how I run my agency, your agency. With accountability comes the responsibility to lead the department and ensure our policies are consistent. And for supple, the best practices and meat risk to avoid liability. 4 agency in the city of Indianapolis. I recognize there are different opinions on. Whether this law should change or stay the way it is. And my commitment is not to any particular structure. But to the principle of transparency, accountability and collaboration. Both for our
community and officers. Whatever the decision is, whatever direction, I'm sorry, did not bring my glasses. So it's hard to read on the screen, whatever the directions taken, the people Apple's can count on. Impd. To remain steady to follow the law. And continue working with all of you who are partners. To build trust fairness and professionalism and to make things better. What I will say is a thank you council heart for bringing the matter forward because as you said, counter Delaney, we can't let these things just sit in a pan without looking at him. I've been in the mix from the very beginning of this, helping develop it. With this council and of the people on this council in people from the
administration. But also I've been working at it. Working through the issues. There are always challenges with these civilian boards that were consistently consistent throughout the time they've existed. Do this to people show up. Do they conduct their training? Do they go on? Right along. Those are all issues when they believe how fast to the appointing authorities. Reappoint people so that we don't have a gap like we did in this general. Board from NOVEMBER to almost MAY. Impd is an agency that has to move with speed and be nimble. Especially in an ever-changing environment as chief one of my parties, which have explained all U.S. Modernization of the police department that requires us to look at every single one of our policies top to bottom. They're still
policies with Mike Spears name on the bottom of them. I want them all to have my name at the bottom. By the time I leave here, they need to be eliminated. The need to be combined. They need to be updated. That's going to take a tremendous amount of work. And I've communicated that with the PRESIDENT Of Generals board. We can't have months. We don't have meetings. We can't have any of those things. So I think there are ways we can improve this if it's not a change to an advisory board. But the bottom line is that we have to be better if this is going to work long term and you'll have to listen to the officers every now and then. Indianapolis is not Minneapolis. We all got lumped into a giant puddle of garbage. That isn't all of ours to bear and certainly not the cops to bear. And it is a contributing factor. Whether
you want to believe it or not, 2, why we don't retain and recruit officers. Not the general words board, but all the things we did or didn't do in the last 5 years and some point to recognize that we don't have to agree with it. There's things I don't agree with. Things come out from our strategic plan is not lovely. Pretty picture of how they feel about me. How the leadership or political leadership in the city that impacts s and you have to recognize that as much as we have to recognize the impact that that what we do or don't do as a police department impacts our community. They are a reason for job there or why. And drive our authority only through their consent. I 100% agree with that. Sending men and women out to put themselves in a position where they MAY not come home at night. You all have to listen
to them occasionally and hear what they had to say. Does it raise? Thanks, MISTER Chief just want to confirm that. Did say that the general principle heard has nothing to do hiring new men and women in uniform. Right. Here to talk about the general's Borden. They don't. But make sure higher. But they did. They do impact people's morale, how they work and the their day-to-day activities. So you're you're connecting the General Motors board to hiring. I'm saying that there is a list of things that have contributed to why people don't want to be police officers in major cities. And this is a contributing factor in Indianapolis because that's what the officer telling. That's what I know that the
General Motors board as is currently set up. Yes, okay. Thanks. Cancer. This becomes also on we'll do one more not going to to tonight. But you made a statement. So we're not going go back for the chief counsel Bay. Thank MR. CHAIRMAN just have maybe one quick follow-up question for the chief. Would you want? Thank you. I appreciate that. Do you believe if we pass this proposal tonight that it would be a net benefit for your department and the city of Indianapolis. You know, I I don't think it like I I think in my remarks, I said that whatever you all do as well as the law will fall, I'm here to convince you to go either way and just trying to provide facts. I can't I can't predict if you know that if the tide will turn and this is that this I don't think that is. I
think it's that that. Not just this this thing. It's a combination of things. And it's not just here just like we're not responsible for what happened Minneapolis. The cops see what happens and Portland and other other places and they absorb that as what everybody feels about them. That's why I've encouraged everybody that in the business community in the community that don't come here in pound on this podium and tell you how terrible things are to have conversations with the officers. Tell him how you feel. Tell him you want them in the neighborhood. Tell him you want fair, consistent, unconstitutional policing and that you appreciate what you do because from this podium, as I said in here in 2020 2021, what was rattled off was
very nasty things and they internalize that and they feel that they're human beings are not machines. And so we have to remember that that you have that that you need to talk to them on masking is a talk to them let you you hear from that. You don't take my word for I'm a good to take what they're doing. I'm not asking you to change the board tonight. I'm just saying be mindful of the decisions you make do have an impact on how our officers feel about the job, how they feel about serving this city and ultimately, you know, ultimately mean, what they say consistently is that leadership department never stands up for them. And I'm not here to like sway you one way or the other. I'm just trying to give you my perspective on the issues that I've seen. What this board and
how we can maybe make it better. I'm committed to working with them. You can ask anybody in and board past or present all in with them. That's the law. I'm going to fall the law. We're going to do everything we can to make sure it's it's right. Give you one example. Our general orders are numbered there. Not number anything, in my view, any logical way. And what's in 1, 9 number. And it's 3. Well, what purview over not can we change the numbers can be re no, you can't do that. Well, okay. Then they're just come by belated all over the place. So we have to be able to work together in order to accomplish the goals we won the last we all sat out. We want the same thing. We're all want the same thing. A fair, consistent constitutional police department that treats people with dignity and respect in every circumstance in every corner of this
community. We all want that. Thank you. Thank you, chief, appreciate you. Part we have the list of those speak to this proposal. We want to sign up for this particular proposal to 44. So you want to speak to proposal to 44 and you signed the list will come forward. Please state your name. So you state your name for the record. Please. Larry Vaughn, please, you know, this board had need go away a long time ago because what it does second guesses, our chief, which experienced officer, he's been in law enforcement for many years. You people off the street who don't have that level of experience as some of them are a plane. People who qualified to make those decisions. And sometime this as I've seen in the past, have
been used as a scapegoat. That means it's been a help to make decisions that have some kind of a doubt within them. But in any case, when we she said here tonight is Gabe, a good statement. He couldn't get to 2, because you do. The mayor controls his budget and you're trying to control authority over his officers tonight and give him a vote no confidence here tonight. If you have an executive officer out on the street, putting his life on the line, every time he gets into a circumstance. He could pass to make a split-second decision. The same way of some emergency comes up in our city. He cannot go the s the citizen complaint board what to do. He knows what to do because of his experience
because of his time on the job and so forth. But the discount all that tonight and throw it out the window. It says you want more current. You want to promote more crime to keep yourself going here in this city. That's what we're going to get. If we don't have autonomous law enforcement that could make their own decisions that appropriate their own budget after you give it over to the general fund. We know what happens in that case. Just certain can't believe that you're gonna. This mandate is coming here and put his life on the line for this city that you're going to give them a vote of no confidence the night and tell him that you be that know how to run his business after he's been there protecting the city. It's a shame. Thank you for your comments. Anyone else
must be to propose a to 44. Come forward. Please. The honorable. Key parts. Welcome. Good evening, MR. CHAIRMAN counselors, glad to be here and standing on the side of the podium. Hope you all are doing well. I just want to offer a few Looking back 5 years ago when this proposal was initially introduced and passed with super majority of votes by this body to the chief at the time and assistant Chief Bay at the time was a part of these conversations. And it's why we included the specific carve outs to allow the chief to act in real time and to make general orders in real time. So that authority does exist within the proposal as it was past. Additionally, there's
been a lot of mission say a lot, but some comments about the fact that we are not like other cities and that is correct because we in the wake of a reckoning on racial justice, did not immediately respond by tugging at the purse strings of our police department. But rather, we looked thoughtfully at what legislative and policy issues we could do to bring the community to the center and hear the calls to prioritize the public in Indy's public safety. And that to echo what counselor Perkins was saying this body, the general orders board built a bridge to a community. That had long felt disconnected from our police department. Long felt disconnected from our public safety leadership. And so this
general orders board did a great deal in rebuilding some trust. And in building that bridge. And I'd encourage you all to vote no on this proposal this evening so that that bridge can continue to stand strong and deliver for our city. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thanks for coming on this evening. Appreciate your comments. Anyone else would come forward to speak proposal to 44. Cancer heart, your proposal. Thank you, MR. Chair members of this make a bold statement. Something we don't normally do. I'm not the only person that's been having conversations with leadership and officers in the city and the state. I've had conversations with state senators, state representatives. We might be the minority here, but we're
not elsewhere. And I will let you know the conversation doesn't end here. I will let you know that I urge you to work with on something before the next council meeting because the state is looking at this and it's not as amenable is what I put in front of you. Consider those things and how we can make this how we can improve this before the state comes and does what they have to do. Thank you, MR. Chair, thank you. Council final comments from councils. Also comes to boost Council for France. Commissioner CHAIRMAN. Question too, because what are you suggesting to possibly suspend the vote tonight to the next meeting? I mean, I'm open to Continue to work through that proposal. I would rather that we passed the proposal this evening. Final
comment would be regardless of the vote tonight. I Chief Bailey knows and should know. He has an open channel communication to everybody on this council and that anybody would pick up his call and listen to him and follow through and help him to the best of our ability. So regardless of this vote, you have my personal number. You can call talk to me any time you wish. Thank you, sir. I do want to emphasize This proposal appears to be a partisan lines, which is very clear from those in the audience and those on the tv. We do want to put the chief situation to where you have to make a decision for or against proposal. That's kind of unfair to him to put him in a position where he has to vote or make a public statement for that. You know what a border against it to put some. Really is where it's going put some
of the for him some to the next proposal. Curfew asking chief was in a position. We have make a decision. Yeah, I want to support the proposals or none of that's not. That's not how it works. He represents all of us. Both sides of the aisle. So put them in a position on a proposed. That's obviously partisan is not France. The chief for the men and women, represents comes to Perkins. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thank you for comments because I was I was thinking the same thing and I'm a little unsettled by the comments my colleague just made because it felt like a threat. Threat to read this to to this chamber. And and so I don't want to name that for for our colleague that that comment felt like you are putting us on some clear one threatened us if we don't, if
we don't pass this proposal, I also want to make it clear again that this is not about the chief. I think we believe in the work that he's doing. I think if you take a vote from the chamber, he will have at least close unanimous support. On his leadership of our police department. This is not about the Chiefs. This is about a system that must be held accountable. And I think we want to be clear about that after Chief Bailey retires and sits somewhere injuring some Heineken this is going to be a police department in and out of Marion County. The second thing that I want to lift is oftentimes when we have these conversations about public safety and more specifically about a police department it appears to me that it's us against them. As if the Democratic caucus does not support the police department.
And I want to be clear that we are in support of the men and women that go out every day and protect our communities, right and protect us. The question is not whether or not we listen to our officers, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Can listen to our offices. We can hear their concerns. But we've also can build systems that are held accountable by our community. And that's what I'm recommending. Thank for your counselor, counselor being. Thank you, MR. You know, if we look back 5 years ago. Chief Taylor stood here in the same. Podium right there. And he
said you are moving too far. And if Tinkler direction, if you pass this. This council did not listen to him. Then this council did not listen to the men and women of impd. And if you vote No, tonight you are telling them again, regardless of what you say here, you can sit here and say you listen to him when you vote this way, you are sending a crystal clear message. That you do not listen to them. Thank you. Council leader Mary. Thank you. MR. Chair, you I understand where you're coming from where this MAY seem like partisan issue. How right? I don't look at crime as a partisan issue. It affects everybody the same member of your family is murdered in the streets effects you just the way same
way with me, MR. There. The chief. I don't think he's being asked to make any decisions on this tonight since he does obviously have a vote. The decision lies solely with this body and I think from where counselor heart was standing in his comments. I don't want that to be perceived as a threat. I think this is an opportunity for us to maintain control of what we have right now. The state were to get involved, which is what I think a lot of us would like to not see happen because, you know, local controls where should be the smaller, the government, the better. We could see this disbanded all together are this proposal tonight is going to keep it together. It's just simply change the to advisory role road and being able to dictate
to what happens in department and giving chief the ability to do his job his vote of confidence in what he does. I do just if MISTER Chair, if I MAY. I'm curious since we did talk about the state, does the chief art is anybody in the audience, no. Are we the only county? Law enforcement body that has this citizens advisory board that is citizen led rather than an advisory capacity would only with this is only the hapless issue. We're going to break so I think that's tears that think that's a very important thing to consider here. We're talking about the statement. People are calling threats and everything else. I think it's important for us to understand. If the state were to do something, is this something that's going to affect state wires and he's got just going to affect
Marion County? We don't want to say to get involved. However, we're not understanding where the state will be making something that would affect other departments or just this one department. Thank you. Leader. Final comments from on committee. This court you want to roll call vote proposal to 44, please. I'm sorry. The motion. Most departments seconded muscular. Accounts of a Snow Council Carlino Carlino ne. Also did it. Delaney know Council Graves, Great Snow. Council Heart Hart. I council miscarry scary know, Council McCormick. Mccormick now counsel Mary. Council Perkins Perkins know Council Robeson Robinson no. Thank Thank Start the motion fails to move proposal to 44 forward. The origins proposal to 45 Is set to 3 d one of the revised code for the defining parental responses on the juvenile
curfew. Locke also heart. Thank you, MR. Chair. And before begin, I. I did receive an email from counselor Boots asking to be a co-sponsor. I don't see his name on the pages. Want to confirm if that's still the case on this proposal. All right. Thank Put on a concert that you could get. That constables is a co-sponsor. Okay. Got thank you. Cars are all Thank you both. So I mean, this is again, like everything else I'm presenting to you this evening. And committees, these are things that have been. Suggested to me as as a counselor, right? Basically what has happened fra last meeting. We but in place to reduce the times on curfew. And I think we all probably heard it. There is, you know, the language around, there's no teeth. There's nothing that's really hold that accountable, you know, and how
do we get to that position? So but effectively, what this does is I worked with again, as I always do, our council, the city's council, this specifically counter Buehler on this case to identify ways and options that we could have a level of parental accountability. And so as you can see, if you're looking at the proposal in section 3.81, 105, there's actually lineage curvy responsibilities of the parent or guardian or custodian. So I'm not creating anything new there suggesting anything new there that. But what I am suggesting new is that subsection b is that there is an enforcement procedure or ramification listed in the revised code. And as as you see a b and c being the first offense that the the parents are the responsible guardian or custodian would receive a
notice for the first offense for the juvenile and which I would encourage the mayor's office to put in any sort of language notification of the services that have come forth to the city since our last proposal on this. If the offense is continue to happen, that's where we see Subsections b and c increasing imposing a fine of $500 in the second offense and imposing a fine on the 3rd offense of $1500. So. MR. CHAIRMAN, that is the proposal I have in front of us this evening get back to you. Thank Thank Concert so again, to the to 44 make a brief statement that all counties chime in some to the prior proposal. I haven't received one text message. One e-mail, one phone call one on
this topic impose fines of $500 to Not one. What I have done, Counselors in your district is a day to sit in your district. I was the boss of e-mails, phone calls, text messages and opposition to that. But I do find it ironic that on this proposal and the proper polls, I haven't received anything. I'm the chair of a committee chair for a few years in nothing. But you've proposals to us. As you said, he's like a groundswell. People want to make these wholesale changes to the proposals we just passed an amended about a month ago, but obviously nothing the tax. But those other topics like the Benson, your Discovery, see lots of response of your colleagues in from the contentious. But this one absolutely nothing. So that the state is. I would encourage you to those people that you say that support these proposals, support this curfew, chase, support these
fines should come forward. The same with they've come forward in the other proposed u disc on the data center just reach out to the chair and let me know hear from them that they want this to happen for for our city. So appreciate that comment. Some councils. Accounts are thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I share those sentiments, especially with the last proposal. I know. When crafting that language I was it was before I was elected in a ride along with an officer and I'm like, how do you like district? He said, well, I like it, but my home district was over here. But I got trouble for x, y and z. So I just want to underscore it's
important that those folks. Are know to to not be here tonight as well. The same with this. I think the fines, MR. CHAIRMAN are discriminatory and predatory and I'll be voting No. Tonight. Thank you, counselor equipment. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN. The bases and the thought of this proposal. I think there are we need to hold our parents accountable for what our kids do. I have 2 young children. I would want to know so I could be involved. I also agree with my colleague that I think there certain demographics and there are certain populations in certain areas of our city. These Juveniles will have the curfew. Parents will be fine and there's other areas where it won't happen. So I do see
that. I want to make data different driven decisions and it looks like chief stepped out there's anybody else in the room, the cancer I would like to know. I know we just put the new curfew order and place last month. That this month? But either way? How many repeat offenders have we had? How many like first-time offenders that where we with those stats and those numbers to justify they also I would direct it to to the sponsor of practice. Night, she starts asked the question like data numbers that we have, that this is the route that we need to go already like. Again, the conversation has gotten, I think, maybe down the road we need to. But let's get data numbers and see what things look like so we can draft it where it's data driven decisions that support community and our residents the right way. So I guess I'm asking councilor hurt what
kind of information you have on Yeah, I think thank you. Council officials asking for the need for the proposal. What is the evidence data? The supports repeat offenders, current Betty of those who live by the curfew wanted to 3 times what you have on that council. Yeah, yeah. For me, it's it's been community outreach credits, verbal outreach like I've been mentioning before. I didn't bring it leaves an e-mail on this one from a pastor James Jackson. Questions about data. What I know about date of this is data. This is data. This so how to how many style, many young people were violating curfew the last month have on that. Comes from so the quantitative data, not the qualitative. Maybe that's what I'm looking for. We have there is no data on there's Daytona know. We were told there was no date on it. The number 0 we debate. Is it not what we were
told we were told they are taken to the juvenile center because there's no room so they weren't even, you know, citing the violation for curfew. There's new data because we're not like citing before. That's the problem. That's why we enacted what we enacted last month. So so using there's no data to cited that we have first time. Second time, a 3rd offenders. There's no data, but you just write to finding those for those offenses? You know, we have no offenses that been document. Certainly that's how you create a level accountability. Thank Council comment. We thank you. Leader Mowery. Thank you, MR. Share to point. You know, you're saying there's no data in verse findings, people. I would argue that this is gradual and nature. It's it's not that we're, you know, your first time out and get into
fights. It's the fact that, you know, we're giving a written notice for giving me the opportunity to get your household in order and you're not just letting your children run around the city all. Hours of the night. I've heard this called discriminatory approach or, you know, I look at this as an issue that, you know, we've got to have some some group here accountable. And if these these young young adults and these young juveniles are out running the streets at all hours of the night committing crimes being out past curfew is a crime in and of itself that we're all looking to find them for looking to hold the parents accountable. These parents are not being held accountable. And that's part of the problem. You know, we we have officers out here doing their job when they could patrolling neighborhoods that of much more issue and
higher needs. Yeah, we're having to worry about. These kids are out here. After curfew. I think it's time we hold parents accountable and let them know that you can just let your kid go run around the city. You know, whatever hours of the night and there will be repercussions if you do. For far too long. But these parents, Kate and skate on all these issues and, you know, it's time we start looking at the home, look at the family life and what's causing understand every family is going to be built the same. And, you know, maybe they have one parent that's out working all hours of the night. There's still a lot of other parents are in the same same boat that are still able to maintain their home and keep
their kids inside account for. What we see is that these kids are going out and committing crimes. And, you know, they're being let go the do whatever they want. Again, I said this precept, I think our city's public safety crisis still and we've got to take all the measures we can to ensure that we're doing all we can to ensure the safety of these kids weren't letting children get killed. Rather than trying to police the ability to make them stay home and stay safe. You know, there's no numbers. And I asked that question last time I talking about this. How do we know if there's repeat offenders? That's because you interrupted me. A new toll in I was told that these numbers are collected. They don't they don't keep these numbers on file because there's state statute. There's our current
ordinance. And maybe this brings us a point where you start creating that data. And if we're gonna make decisions, we have today support those in. I think this is a good way for us are collecting data to make those decisions. Thank you. Thank you to the Maui. There's no doubt that everyone in the room watching understands that the parents are responsible children. We just don't believe many of us just don't believe that if a parent dysfunctional and not doing a good job in parenting the finding them off little bit of a functional parent. So 3rd, let's be clear about the that's for a 3rd offense. They would have had a first they would have a first written notice with with no penalty. No, no monetary issue. The second one with a $500 Hsu. Again, this is also going to be decided by the courts that are going to be able issues fines they can choose to try to work with these parents. You're saying that we're running to a $15 $1500 find.
It is just it is deceptive so lets make sure make that clear. Thank you to Mowery. What I'm saying is that because an individual parent is not functioning as a parent who is responsible? We just don't believe the finding them make them all of a sudden more function as a parent. Council meeting. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I will say I feel like there's been a lot of double talk tonight. You know, we get upset that people are coming forward. Leaders are necessarily coming forward to certain elected officials within the community here? You know, we we tell Chief Bailey don't don't take a position on this. Do don't tell us what do you support this proposal? Not that's know your place. And we say, well, hey, no one's told us if we should support this or not. And I will say as far as it goes to getting
community feedback on this. Yeah. If a counselor is being proactive in going out and talking with the community, I would not be surprised if they have more feedback and counselors that don't. So I would not. So I would say it's the fall of councils are being proactive. Coming up with creative and a beta and smart policy solutions for our city that they're the ones that get the feedback from the council. You know, we went 2 months without a public safety meeting this summer. Let's not forget about that. So we didn't even have an open forum for people to come down and talk to us. Thankfully, some counselors got together had a public safety roundtable of that 3 of these policy ideas came from so lets not get upset the counselors that are being proactive and engaged in
the community and having those conversations are the ones that are getting the feedback. Another one saying, hey, that's a good idea. You should do it. Thank you. Council councilor are currently no. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I want to respond to our east comments about our kids. And they're just presumptions that I think we. A person of privilege. We and I'm I'm guilty of this at times even as a mother to say, go to your room. Lay in your bed. Not all of our kids have that not all of our parents have that. And so we're not going to find our way to public safety and a harmonious family life and nobody's mentioned the elephant in the room and that
is just the lethal access to guns in our state and our city. The proliferation of those weapons and so to me. As a mom, sometimes I'm here late and these meetings. I the 15 year-old when that curfew kicks in. If I'm not back on the West side and my daughter doesn't done stuff. I might not be able to pay fine number 2 and sure as can't pay fine. Number 3 as a public school teacher the city Indianapolis with 2 jobs. So again, this is discriminatory and predatory. And I think it praise parents and totally this is the fact that we have a lot more things that we need to do to serve our families and in particular, our teens and young adults here in the city of Indianapolis. Thank you,
MR. CHAIRMAN, thank you. Counselor. Counselor Boots. Thank you, MISTER CHAIRMAN. We're not the first ones seeking the approval responsibility. I think we've all seen recently the Marion County prosecutors brought felony charges against parents allow kids access to unlocked weapons unloaded weapons that has resulted some disastrous consequences. Not that heavy use here by asking parents are responsible for their children. I signed as a co-sponsor of this because i too believe public safety is not a political issue. We should all be on the same page to do as much as we can push every little pull every lever. This is not a gots and silver bullet. Know that. But it's just one small brick in the
wall that we're trying to build to build the support for better public safety. I've had a concern with the city from day one that we lacked inforcement across many fronts, not just public safety, but being this inspection. Things like that is just you get away with a lot of stuff in the city. And this is just maybe one other step. And this is a small step toward trying to reef. And as I've been quoted as saying this one really with people with wet noodles in the city, no one feels any pain for violating the rules are violated. The law. That's a lawless society. We need some guidance here to hopefully moved the needle in the right direction. And well aware of the hardship. This can cause it MAY have a discriminatory
application, but I will also say the judge here is the buffer, if you will. That has a discretion any case in a hardship case to waive any fine. He or she wishes. So I think there was a protection there that this will not be. Discriminating enforced or assessed against people who can afford it. So but I do think it anything that can help enforce. Better behavior that will prevent disastrous consequences or police having to be the heavy to go down and even round up kids violating curfews. That's one reason we have no statistics because the police aren't excited about doing that. You want to build distrust. You go around and pick up kids late at night in the mall who come out of the movie when they should be. Whoa. We need to have families more involved with the control of their own children is my point. So that is why I have
signed on as co-sponsor. Courage are members of this committee to vote. Yes. Thank you, Thank you, counselor boots because the Perkins. Thank you, MR. I'm going to take up my colleagues invitation lead to Mallory to have a deeper conversation around the impact community, how to make our community safer. I'm also going to go do encourage my colleagues and boots think about the fact that public safety is a political issue. It is a political issue that has cause us to determine policies and practices and resources that we put to address the issue of the cycle of trauma that so many of our families live Marin County city of Indianapolis is a political issue of how we address poverty. It's a political
issue. How we addressed the issue of availability of guns, red line house and drugs in our communities. If we're going to address the issues that affect families. Young people. Let's address them. Let's not punish our parents and top of what they're really tried. Thank you. Council are Thank you, MR. First of all, i want to state that I do believe that parents should be held accountable for. The decisions that their children make. Looking at it in the context of the proposal that we have in front of us. I also wear that. Any time that a child is out in public and they're doing something that raises reasonable suspicion or their outright committee kind. There's a whole other walk of criminal statutes that address that as councilor boots talked about our prosecutor, that
would then not only be prosecuting a juvenile, but also their parents for allowing them access to a gun. Again, there's a whole a whole nother set. Of statutes. There are firmly established that will address anything violent or anything possibly criminal that's happening. So we're talking about very small subset of children that are presumably not doing anything illegal. Out past curfew. And that gets me to my second point, which are questions for our co-sponsors or sponsor and co-sponsor room. How is this? Procedure? All want to know about how it actually gets enforced. If you have a child that's out on the street and they're just sitting there talking to their friends. I don't I'm just trying to throw
in some non criminal activity that a juvenile would be doing out there. And the police officers approached them. And then I guess they're getting. Call picked up by the police. They get taken to a facility. Then what happens like how how are we monitoring these were coming back to those questions and have the fines get issued? It says $500 for each one and so is like is in the new somebody mentioned about the court's I I want somebody to further talk about that. But then also within that I'm really asking about I don't know, Pastor Jackson, but the e-mail that you provided counselor heart is from Pastor James Jackson of the pastor, the fervent prayer Church and I take something that he said is something I thought about. Think my colleagues are thinking about and I don't
want to take it out of context. So please just take this is my own words and not his. But I it is something that he said, which is he wants finds. I would also want any fine to be part of a broader compassion, upload. And we want to be careful that they're not a blunt instrument that further punish is struggling. Families already burdened by systemic inequalities inequities. That is a concern of mine. As we look to that. So that's where why I want to know specifically about the procedural pieces and and if we're concerned about this particular statute as a body. Being applied in equitable. Can we have that discussion separate from maybe the law itself is right because we
want to hold counts. Parents accountable. But having a separate discussion about how it's applied and maybe making modifications to the proposal as it is, that would require some sort of reporting back to us to make sure that it's being applied equally to all children that are taken. And I don't know. I'm just trying to separate what I'm saying is I'm trying to separate the 2 issues of one. I think it's important that parents are accountable, but 2, if we're concerned about application of the law, let's look at that issue separately. Thank Just going to have a direct question for Qaeda. Can you explain the procedural pieces of Council heart? Certainly. And goes back to the conversations that we had
about curfew, where the discussion starts with the police officer. Right? And they have this choice make. Is this a civil violation or is this a criminal violation? And that's where it starts. If they decide to make it a civil violation and go down that route. That's where this comes into play. So the the chief and whoever explained it last month, I believe it was. The chief explained to us that their initial goal is to take them straight to the juvenile detention center that they've set up community senators with community partners that they will take that the individual to so. And they're still not decided that that they're just at that location and whether their guardian parent, whoever it is comes and picks him up from that location, that that's it. That's the end of that. However, if they make it over to the juvenile center
and they are cited and the citation that acts like any other citation like a parking ticket, right? The most common. It is subject to the civil court process you can pay it or you can challenge it in court and you have your time to go in front of a judge. It is then up to the judge's discretion. Based on which stage there at right. I mean, the first stage is going to the letters. I mean, that's that's that. But if it gets to be year, see, I think that what's really important to call out here is that it's subject to not show. And so that allows the judge I would always decide to the judge's discretion if there's legal folks here with counselor. Piercer absolutes guys are certainly more legal trend. But that gives them the ability to You have the discretion on what they suggesting that fine, too and
that's how that would play. So how so impd is the one making the decision about whether they get it. Just. The public service resources that we talked about and their parents picked them up or even a trusted family member. We talked about that versus. Getting cited. So you're telling me the impd is the one that's making that decision. Thank you. Goes back to you like if you had it, you know, we've changed it on the timing because if you get a teenager driving home from work and, you know, they've got that discretion to say up or not, you know, it. It's that's the word that discretion mieses with officer. Thank you, counselor Lida Maori. Thank you, MISTER Chair. I I think it's ironic that we're talking about gun control here again in this in this chamber. You
know, I I. I don't I don't disagree that there are guns in the hands of bad people. And unfortunately for you think whole those guns as well. Sometimes even it's the parent's gun that they get a hold of. We'll strive act would only hold parents accountable. Why did they have that gun locked up in a safe way have a guns, a gun lock on that firearm? Lot child be able to access the firearm. Family with a child and family, a person with a firearm know should know basic firearm training and knowing how to secure that firearm. If you don't secure that firearm properly, let's go back look at and, you know, make sure you do know how make sure it's a lasting effect. The you know You know, we've heard the public safety is a political issue. I would disagree. I would. I think public safety is something that effects. Democrats, Republicans,
independents. White brown, purple. I don't care. Public safety affects us all. If my. Family member is shot and killed. That affects me the same way as if anybody and family were shot and killed your hearts broken. You want to know what happened? It was a juvenile that did this? Pray that it isn't. Were there measures in place that we could have potentially prevented that? Where they're measures in place where we could have put the parents accountable for these juveniles that are out. 01:02:03am. With no business out at that hour. I think council boots put it very well and counselor heart as well and saying that this fine is not end, all be all that you're going to automatically
get a fine. It's at the discretion of the judicial officer at that time. And I think we need remember that that it's not going to be something that where you're automatically going find you complete your case and you can say. This is the reason this is what happened. I apologize will make sure happen again. At that point. Puts it back on the parent to be a parent and not just a friend that just lets him go all out at all hours of the night. I would hope and it MAY not be the case in all cases. You're right. But and the case is that it is we hold those parents accountable. And that's why if it isn't the case, the judicial officer has the opportunity to work with that parent. Thank you. Thank you. The Council McCormick comments or questions on to 45. Thank. Thank you. As
CHAIRMAN. I don't know if the would be willing to postpone, but I think it sounds like there's maybe area for more conversation moving forward and maybe to get some data and some numbers whether the not they really exist on paper or it's more anecdotal in quite a like the qualitative versus quantitative. But I think there's further conversation and maybe. To bring in subject matter experts and also those who can help. Identify where there might be. Some discrepancies are disparities and different populations. So that would just be comment suggestion. Thank you. Thank you. Council council Thank you, MR. Chair. You know, I was beginning to think I might support this at one point. But with the fines way they are. There's no way I'm going to. You know, I feel like we're getting set up. You know, it's all stem from JULY 4th of JULY, 5th, 2 children being
killed. Those kids were arrested and they is happened. And that the state house is hovering over us right now. One need to take over Indianapolis. It's happening in other cities where National Guard's County. Be safe. It could happen here and I don't doubt at one our structure, the state house is waiting to take us over. Thank you. Thank you. Council council, council being. Thank MR. CHAIRMAN, I know necessarily supposed to direct questions too. Members of the council, but I did have a follow-up question with counselor. Mccormick. Would exact would you be looking for in order to? Say that, you know, hey, this is an appropriate fee structure because I think the best case scenario is we never have to issue a violation. It would be
amazing if we pass this and we don't have to do anything with it because parents are holding children accountable. Unfortunately, that's not the What we're debating tonight is whether or not we think that this is an appropriate fee structure to hold parents accountable think because the main slightly disagree, I think the discussion hold them come with a fee at all. Not not discussing the fee structure. I think at this point the discussion is finding in general, as discussing some com, if you want to respond to counter Bain, if you choose. Sure. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Sir Council Rain. I think it's sort of twofold. So there is fee structure, no free
structure. If there is a free structure. What did the dollars look like? What do the numbers look like? And then for the data on my side. Think what I would be looking for is what is the popular like? So what's the population week? The population, the numbers and the date, right? So how likely don't they're not getting to those multiple offenses. And last month we heard the resent, you know, that it's changed in the courts and the judge in his billing to hear curfew fences, right? So that's why impd and other other groups are doing more education versus sightings. Curfew violations, right? So because for a long time that there was nothing that they could do, right, it was just it wouldn't get taken in the courts. And so there was no point in doing it sort of like that's my words. So we're we're now back at the
point where we can enforce curfew and we have support in our different break and are different areas of government the courts. To be able to pursue this and what is. What are those numbers going to look like? Right? So I know we don't have to like, what do the numbers look like? And then again, I think for me, it goes back to that disparity is this is is it first as a warning seconds to find the next really big fine. Is there more that we can do in the middle? So maybe it's 3rd strike is a fine, right? The second one is there is mandatory x. I see. I don't know. I not subject matter expert in us. I do not want to suggest what any of that should look like. Again, I'm open to further conversation. But I think there's
information that I don't have of that number. The stats, the data that I used to make my decisions that I have, I have to be able to support it tonight. Think one thing on that follow council comic is that you go from first notice to wanted to second of 500. That's 1500. I think something along the lines of MAY be required. A parenting class will be a good step be a process versus jumping right to the fines. So is about the crime. Painting class is important to us as opposed to a carrot and stick. Some of you guys jump right to state. By the way, it's going so that's just a thought. But I wouldn't be in favor of postponing it that we need to start over. We want to impose things like painting classes as opposed trying to. Take
this Looks over fresh with accountability is important. We we all believe in that and parents are responsible. I think a notice of the maybe period class would would be a point discussion as well. Thank you so much. Cost of Thank you, MR. I e and agreeing with council McCormick that I would be open to postponing a vote on this to allow for amendment or amendment this evening. I think the way criminalize written is often a fine imposed of there's a range and these the way that it's written this very specific of a subject to a fine of 500, it doesn't say up to our no greater than being coming from prosecutorial world. Judges are there for a reason to be able to listen to a story. Listen, all facts and circumstances of what
occurred. And I think giving more leeway in what's written here to the judge, I think would be really important in not punishing parents that don't deserve to be punished and allowing the judge. I like CHAIRMAN Robinson's idea, parenting classes or whatever it is. We can write this in a way that would allow the judge to have a lot more leeway bringing. I think that's important. An important intervention bringing a family before the court to really try to understand what's going on at its core and giving each circumstance, especially when you're dealing with children. The children are the priority. Public safety is secondary. But what we really want is for children to be safe and healthy. Allowing the judge to
intervene in a manner that would take the whole family and accountability in all the circumstances of what's been going on with that child. I think that that. Is is a really important piece to this, especially since we're dealing with children. Thank you. Thank Council Council Thank you, MR. Have a comment. I think this this makes me brings to mind that we are. You mentioned the carrot and the stick. We're focusing on are reactive reaction to what's happened out there without really giving a lot of consideration to being preventive in nature and looking at the root causes of why people, our youth, our
downtown anyway. And I'm willing to bet that it's because of lack of opportunity. I would love to see a shore up what is available for you to do. Preventive measure versus spending this much time on the reactive measure going straight to the punishment for those families? I I would love to see us be more intentional about providing opportunities for those same unions to go to places to enjoy themselves because if we all can recall, when we were young, we needed something to do and some place to go. And if there is nothing to do and no place to go downtown Indianapolis is where it's going to happen. Thank you, MR. You counsel counsel heart. Thank you, MR. Chair. I'm so glad you guys brought parenting classes because this is this is the second version
of what I wrote. I wrote parenting classes and the first time and I had a meeting with council peers Council beeler again from the city and council or sealer to Buehler as well as that. Julie Slaughter with the city who's also former city prosecutor who would see these sorts of things. We my understanding correct me if I'm wrong, but conservation, that. We don't have the authority. Through our means to what we have citations and fines, the fine ability. We have this through. Monetary and we don't have the ability, the authority to require parents to go to a parenting class. I started at that with make giving the option of parenting class
bringing both the parent and a child together. That was the original intent. What I was told by 3 different attorneys that with this city that we cannot do that and I wanted to do that. But I'm we were we were just unable to do it. So this was the option. That's why I mentioned when I open this up, that when the notice is sent out. But anything that we have available to the city that has come to the city is mentioned in that that letter because that's where we have the option to inform people that these things existed. They've come to the city. But this is what we can do. We can we can adjust these fees up and down. But we can't we can't require anybody to go to parenting class. Thank you. Council Council Perkins. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I want to just take a couple of things
that my colleagues said. Can some great just mention that we are. We are being very reactionary and we still responding from what happened earlier this summer. I think the evidence that we are asking for and it underscores the importance of doing research before we bring this out to the public is is there a correlation between leverage in a fine and reduction of curfew violation period. Is there data that suggests that from a national perspective, I remember 24 years Education k 12, there was a time period where once was a major issue, especially on the major urban city. I was working as a principal and we made a decision to leverage fines and refer parents. So the court for truancy cases, all it did was to overburden my staff to document for the prosecutor and it just clog up the court system. There was no correlation between referring
the case to once a case to the court and the reduction of 20, we had to address the root causes. If we are going to be a class, a city, we must address the root causes and stop being reactionary. Thank Thank you. Can also leave a Maori. Thank you. MISTER Chair. We've had a lot of discussion here 9. I want to be brief here. So we talk about leveraging finds that nature. You know, when we talk leveraging finds, I think of things like speed limits. I'm doing 60 in a 40. I'm not worried about the speed limit or the cop that sees me doing 60 40. I'm worried about the ticket. He's going to write me because it has a monetary value to that ticket, which is a fine. I think the same policy goes in the same. The same notion of same idea goes
flies here that. You MAY not be worry about the police officers. There's no fine attash. There's no there's no accountability held. However, if I'm if I am speeding, there's accountability to be accountable for what I've done. Rightfully and I think this is a way for us to hold parents accountable for letting their kids go out at all hours of the And, you know, so leveraging finds is a is a did absolutely a deterrent for. Letting kids go out all hours of the night and making sure that parents have have their homes in order. Thank you. Thank To marry council Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, appreciate you come back to him. The flexibility that we've had No, thankfully, this is public safety Committee in a budget hearing.
So we're blessed with some city leaders and staff out in the audience and I just thought it might be appropriate if a director Merkley to come up, speak about maybe if he has any info you can share about the curfew system a thing about Phs was involved setting up staging centers and everything. Costume and we're going to hold vote for it. Yeah, we do know from that for now. I mean, I want to hear from city officials things that we've been official for this proposal. We can have him come up and foremost. We want MR. CHAIRMAN, I think we have established protocol in this chamber that you're recognized first by the CHAIRMAN For you speak. And so I asked my colleagues to do fall. I was recognized. Thank Thank you for the council pardon un even recognized council being hold
on. Hold on hold a 4 counts bank on some scary. I like call the question. Peers. We have a called question on the floor that's been seconded. We go to We have to address beings question for years. I think that's up to the chief. It's up to the We'll take a roll call. Vote on the call. The question, please. COUNCILMAN, they want to know is that someone seconds were voting cause a delay on the call, the question meaning that the questions from the committee at this point will be suspended, amended and we'll go to public comment. They want that. And the question was called by Council must carry a second about growing And we'll do a roll call, vote on. Call the question in this discussion. Go to public comment and to a
accounts of salute. It counts the Consequently yes, counselor to 90. Council grace. Yes. Council heart part. No COUNCILMAN, scary mask areas. Kassem Cornett. Counsel Mary. Council Perkins. Yes Council Robeson Robinson. Yes, close So I wasn't following 6 yes's and 2. 5 knows. Thank you anyone in the audience could proposal to 45 a little public comment on proposed to 45 regarding the curfew. Fines will come forward. We have a list muscular. Of names of those and signed in. Thank you to read just the first 3 names. Listen for your name, please.
You want come forward most to causing. MR. Defeated. You have 2 more homes to Van. You have 2 more. These These ills, their diesel, the audience. Okay. And then one more. And those were the last 2. We great, MR. Vaughan comments, of to 45 regarding the curfew amendment. Yes, please, you know, whenever you monetize the problem like this, it always gets ugly, right? This is about money. I mean, every Democratic a city that's ram. But Democrats across the country, you send this problem pop-up what they've done with this care food bill. They know that these parents are not going to come pick these kids up. The first thing they're going do tomorrow. It as is they're going pick them up.
They're going to have a chance to over. They're going to collect the information on these good, dry draft, according to whatever treatment they can get. So many of our black pastors of setup, though thousands in bunk, George is now that they're doing nothing but selling do so. This is how they moderate as and also I had a friend, friend of mine, DR. Kenneth echoed was the former coroner here in Marion County. He told me that every time a young murder victim comes the scales and this was in 79 that they profited the medical industry profit over $750,000 off of the gas that they stripped out. Remember I'll go and have had to cut that down because they would take a advantage of dead bodies that ended up in our our triage and then that
they were injured and then selling the body parts. This is the shame and you have people out on the streets being promoted by the city being paid by the city to corral these young people to get them into a place where they have to give their information up, where they're taking that taken before a judge. But they have a gun and say you to take this, do or go blow your brains out. That's what's going on here tonight, folks. They've ordered most of kids in the city. And it's a shame. Do it anyway. They don't care. Thank you. Your name for the record. Please. Good evening asked me, do you mind if son I'm a youth advocate with a voice is and Pike High School. I'm senior wrote to graduating. Before I begin, I want to thank you all for taking the time to listen
to the wishes of my community. I believe our community as a whole to the struggles with accountability. We need to do following through with the laws and our system. Systems that we put in place because despite the popular opinion my peers, I believe it really does keep us safe. But that being said, I do think improvements in reinforcements should be added to the curfew. But I think jumping straight to finding isn't the right right type of reinforcement to persuade you to follow them. I think we should try to strive to find solutions that focus more on. Reform. It rather than punishment, for example, getting our youth into things like community service recreational activities. Thank you for your time. You for your comments coming down. If anyone else could speak to the proposal. 2, 4, 5, on the
curfew amendment. Seeing none. The debate is indeed for the committee that you're intending motion on to 45. Most probably moved and seconded as clerk the roll call vote. Please. Council moves time. Colina. Currently Councilor a a great, great Council. Heart Hart. Council miscarry. Scary know, Council McCormick. Mccormick now. Council Yes, Council Perkins Perkins no counts around the Sun. Robinson. No, thank you. The motion of failed to pass to 45 2025, is we have 3 budget hearing to see presentations. First up is our Marin County clerk's office. Case we believe come forward. Please. And idea. Pass out your stickers to although committee escort, they'll have one. Each of the committee members should have a hard
copy of the presentation in their possession and we will have a one for the public to view on the screen here in just a moment. As clerk read it. And we will take you. We will take the questions from the committee at the conclusion presentation. Thank you very much. Good evening, MR. CHAIRMAN. And members of the committee, everyone here. Not everyone here has a see me before. For those of you at home. My name is Kate Sweeney Bell and the Mary County Clerk. Joining me tonight, our Jenny Troutman, the cfo for the clerk's office. This gives somebody the eye right now. Chris Becker. Are my chief of
staff and Jessica's who is director of finance. Before I begin with the budget, MR. CHAIRMAN, if it's ok with you. I need to correct the record on matter. Please MISS Clerk to read it. Thank you. As you MAY know, in addition to presenting this budget here tonight, I also represent the Marion County Election Board and presented by budget last week to another committee. And during last week's budget meeting, councilor Maori asked a question regarding the election process and other states. And I answered that question only partially correctly. And if you are still here, I would remind him that he asked about these other states. And I told him that Utah only had mail-in ballots and that was
incorrect. Instead, Utah is one of 8 states. That automatically mails ballots to every registered voter. Each of those states also allows for in-person voting hopefully he will here this later tonight when he watches the replay. But I just wanted to publicly set the record straight and to apologize. 2 counts leader Maori for the air. Be sure he watches. Only gets home. Thank you. How often does somebody get apologize to right? I was wrong and I regret it. Thank you for your acknowledgment as court. I appreciate you letting me explain that. And now on to the budget for the
clerk's office, I only have about 45 minutes worth of material. So will killing. It's like 5 minutes. 5 minutes. Going to go really fast because there are very important things that you're doing here tonight. And but I do want to preemptively answer 2 questions for all of you here tonight. No, I can't get you out of a ticket and no, I can't get you out of jury duty. That is this something that I might be able to help, but please don't make a habit of asking about about the jury duty cause you really should serve if you're called so far this year through JUNE 30th, we process more than a quarter million requests in our office and received over 75,000 payments. Anything from bonds copies, court costs everything in between. Not included in that. You see the total funds
on that sheet 36 million dollars. There's 24 million encouragement about 7 and a half million sheriff sales and miscellaneous fees. Plus, over 3 million in bond payments. That is a through JUNE 30th. So it's it's it's there are a lot of dollars. The budget breakdown on this slide. We've decreased character one spending by over 5 and a half percent. Our character, 3 increased. But that has to do with Alice. That is coming to next year for our records facility. And while we've digitized the records, we can but nobody's offering to do that for free. So until we can find more revenue streams for We need to house these court records. Next slide is the revenue, which I believe is a misnomer. What is called revenue is statutorily
dictated to our office. So if there's $100 fee assessed by court, it doesn't go into the general fund. Instead, a dollar might be collected for the alcohol and drug countermeasures. Fee, another dollar to the domestic violence prevention and treatment fee and on and on. Until you get to that $100. And then a percentage might go to either count the county, the state or cities and towns, again, that those are all dictated by Indiana code character. One, as I said, there is a decrease. It was not 5 and a half percent. It's really 5.6, 3%. Next one character to there's no change here. You can imagine. The cost for supplies is not going to go down in the near future. And just like her fellow agencies, we endeavor to be good stewards of the public
dollars that will not change. But that figure still might change just a little bit character. 3. That's the where we expect to see the increase in rent for. Our records facility. I mean, who knows? Maybe it will be less. But again. You know, I don't see I don't see prices going down anytime soon. Character for, as you know, that case we needed new piece of office equipment will come out of our perpetuation fund. Thank you. Any questions. Thank you. Question counsel on the cards patients. No vote tonight. Qasem agreement. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN got to have at least one snow ice we have to have one question time. Was just I wanted to ask. Thank you for your presentation about your character. One. So the cut and that. So the decrease in that. And then the number of staff.
And is that going to decrease? Are we are there city County employees that are going to needing other positions. And how is that going to impact the office of the work that you can get done? Thank you for the question. It is a we have positions that have been funded that are not currently filled. And that's where the decrease came in were not anybody's salary and if you haven't encountered any clerk's office staff. Comey, that they're great people and they do. They do wonderful, wonderful work. Thank you. Council Council road lately. That was my question thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, any one of the orders care to speak to the presentation of the clerk's office. Seeing? No. Thank you, MISS Thank you for the stickers. Yes, thank you. Don't don't forget to vote next year. Have a good day.
MAY 5th at next election. The second presentation this evening is the regional health and mental health centers, MR. George Heard and Dr Ashley over And we have packet. Very informative. Leader Mallory per Kitty. Something to share with you about the last committee meeting about voting million ballots. So she's data. She made error in the last meeting. We want to watch the video tonight. We get home about conversation she had. Tariffs that thank you. Absolutely. Walk school. This year. So that was good. That's his point. Place.
MR. Her doing going start. We have a hard copy. So she's the presentation. So if you want to go and start hard copy you have, can just keep going and when that, you know, I look, becomes that will have it. Well, I want to thank everyone for allowing us to be here I will start with my hard copy. I came prepared as well. Just in case I do want to stop for a moment on the first flight. The title 5. Let me introduce myself and then go from there. I think we're getting there. MR. CHAIRMAN and members of the board on Torture device, PRESIDENT Behavior, Health Community Health Network. I wanted to stop on this slide for a minute and talk a little bit about what this is when we
were putting this presentation together. One of the things we thought about is hearts and minds. It's really important when we think about that because as we're thinking about what we do is community mental health centers, behavioral health and mental health and addiction service providers. We think about this in that way about mental health and what we're doing. We're treating hearts and minds and we know that we can't do that without the support of community members also elected officials, organizations at the government level of different departments and everybody else as well as of service providers around Marion County in Indianapolis. Get my. Go And from that standpoint, I
want to thank everybody here next. I want to go ahead and let you know on representing on behalf of all for community medical centers here in Marion County. With me tonight is doctor naked hear from adult and child. Anthony Sheehan from a spy or health and DR. Ashley, Overly from sand or Eskenazi. So I want to thank all of them being here with me tonight and their staff. Since this is a budget meeting. This comes every year in one of the things I think I want to point out is our county funding that we It does come from Indiana code. This states, county government Shao Fund community, mental health centers based on a formula established under code. Bexar County funding is not a attack
seen Levy but rather statutorily required funding levy that is adjusted annually statewide based on the assessed value growth quotient. So that's that's long winded to say this funding that we received. Well, it does count as county tax dollars and it's all determined before the budgets are set was able to speak with some people. And I understand that's about 8.7 million dollars. This budget cycle. And while that seems significant, broken across 4 of it's not that much when we think about what we're being tasked to do also would like to always remind everybody that are funding. I always call a braided. It's all braided together. Not anyone.
Funding source we get is enough to cover the services we have to deliver. We have to pull a lot of different funding together to make that work. That is oftentimes partnerships between local government, state, government and federal government in a lot of times. It's very complicated funding streams where we have to match certain dollars to pull down other dollars that can make start to be somewhat hole in the services we deliver. And so in this case, a lot of the county tax dollars are used as match, down other dollars to help us fund everything we do. Conversely, on the right side of this slide, I would like to point out not doing the services. We do. Indiana Behavior Health Commission did study and what they've determined is not treating behavioral health and addictions adequately. It's costing Hoosiers about 4.2
billion dollars a year. Of that is most important to point out that the highest number of costs related to this is premature mortality. So that's one of the biggest costs to the state is the fact that people suffering from mental health and addictions tend to die younger. Then others without the next saying is of lost productivity. So you think that from a workforce standpoint, people suffering with addictions and mental health can be as productive as it in terms of as other people. And then finally, just straight up, health care costs. It just cost more. When people have comorbid conditions related to mental health and addiction. So just want to point that out. The next slide. Really just kind of goes into what we
do is come human health centers and there's about 10 required services that we have to do as a communal center. And I want to point out, we really focus on in are tasked with serving the people with the highest needs and we'll get into that more as we go through here. But you'll see we have to have 24 hour-a-day crisis interventions. Case management. I can go on and on. What I want to. I. Go ahead and come compare that with is what I'm going to say is. My presentation can take a little twist here. We're going to go into the future. It's actually kind of the now. But now in the future. One of the things I want to point out is the state of Indiana in 2023 did as percent enrolled act one appropriate money through the Department Mental Health and Addictions. 100 million dollars, 50 million dollars
each year. The biennium to improve behavior. Health services across the state of India. They did recommit to funding this and in advancing support for mental health and addiction services in this last budget cycle appropriated another 100 million, $50. Each. You're the biennium to support our expansion of what we call cc Bhc certified community Behavioral health clinics. It's really important because should increase the amount of funding we have to serve. Individuals in the state have been helping to move this process along as part of that. This at the beginning of this year did award a demonstration sites.
Centers across the state to be the first ccb agency organizations across the Marion County was fortunate it had to. Already in this county qualified to be early cc Bhc participants that means and are asking all see an adult and child health. This state has been reaffirmed a commitment. He recently opening up an application period for others, too. Community health centers to apply. Both community Fairbanks, Behavioral Health Aspire health. Indiana health both applied. And so it's our hope. All 4 of will be able to benefit from new service delivery and funding of c c, c. Down below this. You're
going to see that there's 9 required services that's ecb agencies have to do. I won't go into all of them. They're very similar to what commune most senators had to do. The big thing is we should get funded better to do this. There is one thing absent in this list and that's residential services. I bring this up because I know this has always been a concern of this of this group about how are we handling people with housing insecurity and things like this. I want to tell you, the state has committed that they're going to find a way to do that community. Health centers will still be around making sure that those activities still continue. I will also point out later in the slide deck, what we have been doing and how we've been growing. I won't really go into each and every one of these different items on this slide. I can say this is why I
would say should be what you should expect from acc Bhc. You should expect you should expect expanded timely access to care. You should expect expanded access to substance. Use care. You should expect investments in workforce workforce is our biggest need. No. Explain why you should expect that. And then you'll see the rest of the things you should expect. What this slide deck is really about. What are some of the outcomes. Chris, Indiana isn't the first state to his transition to see Cbh see others have done this for years. And so what what has been the results when people have been able to transition
to see Cbh c and what you're going to see quite simply there has been an expansion of access to care, accepts gains were particularly pronounced amongst the Medicaid populations expanding their number of people served by an average of 33%. Also, there was an expansion amongst children and used uninsured people without it. You know, who couldn't normally get outpatient services, which are really critical in trying to prevent things. There was also overall an expansion of substance use care related to this new ccb agency model of care. And you can see the outcomes that reported around them. Staying on the themes of outcomes. Also, ccb agencies of really been passed focus on working around dealing with health disparities and social determinants of health. These
are big drivers of cost and not treating these things early only makes things worse. Long-term. And so as part of ccb agencies have engaged in a wide array of strategies to address these includes see, including screen for unmet, social needs. You'll see that increasing outreach to individuals who have historically been underserved underrepresented and also hiring represent the communities and the people that we're serving. These have all been items ccb agencies have been able to do remarkably well. There's also been real focus and this is this comes right from the federal government's requirements for ccb agencies, a focus on increasing access
and support to veterans. People experiencing homelessness people who are at risk for involvement with the criminal justice system. And then. I want to say that the vast majority of ccb agencies have been able to proactively assist clients and finding and maintaining stable housing. I think what's key here this group and has been in the past is what has historically held us back from being able to achieve great results here regarding behavioral health and addictions. Often times it's been a lack of workforce. I could spend a long time explaining why it's hard to hire behavioral health workforce. It really oftentimes comes down to economics. If we aren't reimbursed well enough to cover our costs and increase
wages. It's really hard to retain workforce. It's really hard to attract new workforce. And so we have all all for community health centers have really engaged in trying to look at how can we build or workforce retainer workforce? And what can we do to increase that? One of the things I want to point out the number of people we have across the 4 agencies working in Marion County, providing behavioral health and substance use treatment. It's over. 2300 individuals. That's up from last year. So that's important to point out. The next I want to point out. When we're looking at us like 10 lows showcase of comes, some of the things we've done as a group.
All 4 of us have come together to work and what we call the Behavioral Health Academy. The Behavioral Health Academy really focuses on training early therapist on how to deliver care more effectively in more efficiently by training them to treat both mental health and addiction. Because historically people only been trained to do one or the other. It was estimated that Indiana we were thousands of therapy short of what we need to provide the services that people need. It. This and that was primarily because you had to have 2 people. If you have both a mental health and addictions issue here, we train one person you book. And you'll see in Marion County. We graduated 218 people who can now do this. And so if you think about that, we've reduced that by over 400 people that we needed to serve people by doing this by training and duly this way.
Also. I want to point out that we've also started a care coordinator pathway. You got to think about this early people getting into workforce. Their need a master's degree. We also have individuals who are getting their bachelor's degree in. These are important people in our workforce. And so, but we also want to get them prepared if they want to advance the career ladder get in become a therapist and stuff like this. And this care coordinator pathway again, very collaborative process amongst us is also working to train individuals to work with people with dual diagnosis, so many for people have both mental health and addictions issues and you'll see the great thing is a lot of our higher schools of higher education Butler, Indiana University, Indianapolis. You know, I you windy Martin University and Mary universities are parts of
these programs. So I want to point that out again, also wants a service providers were working together collaboratively. Here. Another very important The council has always been interested is how many individuals have we serve? Across all of our types of care and services this pasta state fiscal year. We served over 65,000 individuals. That was up from a little over 61,000 individuals last year. So important. We are serving more people. The pi chore off to the right. I want to point out to you. As community health centers were to focus on individuals with the highest acuity and the most important needs. So the highest need. And if you look at this pie chart, you're going to see 2 things kind of popped out medication in how patient only kind if there is. We consider
those low levels. Kinda cares. Not that medication. Is it important that has to be prescribed by a doctor? But generally those are things that sometimes primary care can do or a private practitioner therapist can do how patients only. What we really focus on her things like community-based services. This is where we have staff going into individuals homes because maybe they can't get to us. We go to them and we're delivering that therapy inside their holes or wherever they MAY be because sometimes are not even house. The works were meeting them where they are delivering that care. Sometimes we do intensive community-based services and that's where a team of individuals has to support and keep that person in the community. And then
residential services will talk a lot about the types of residential services. We do and then systems of care. We have to coordinate across multiple entities, especially around you services to support individuals in the community. When we look at who were serving the this is a very vulnerable population. Of these individuals were serving. 36 1% of them have residential instability. Think of them is house today, but maybe not next week. Also, 27% of them have the legal system involvement. And not 24% of are suffering from food insecurity. So these people have high needs. When we look at the demographics of who were serving. You can see the overall demographic makeup.
And I will tell you, as we look at our workforce, our workforce at this point in time isn't necessarily not fully representative of our populations. But we're making great progress. And then if you look off to the side, when we think about the people with the highest needs, you'll see the majority of them are adults in smaller number being. You. I can go through these next slides. Quickly. Some people boys wanted to know so what kind of people we working with depressive disorders. It's the number one chief complaint by our people, but then also fall by people with a it's a for any a spectrum and other psychotic disorders. And you can see substance use. This is pretty much the same list that we had last year. Some of the percentages are a little different, it stayed
relatively the same. Diagnostic categories for kids again, relatively means remains the same as last year with depressive disorders leading the way. And then you'll see anxiety disorders being 3rd on our list. Can't can't not do. And talk about at the bottom of our list as trauma and stress related disorders as well as we live in a society where sadly some of our children suffer from abuse, neglect and other such trauma. And then our substances again, same same items that we had last year. A little different mix up here in terms of its ranking. But overall alcohol use is our number one fo followed by opioids, cannabis stimulants and then nicotine. As the chief complaints, people were coming to us when we do our
diagnostic reviews. Next. I really want to get into. This is probably where I want to brag a little bit about our continuum of care and what we do. So we are always been interested in gathering feedback from the community. That's one of the things is a certified Community Behavioral center. That ccbc were required to do. And all 4 of us have that sometimes group together, sometimes individually. But we are constantly surveilling the community for their needs. And as a result of that. We have a very robust continuum of care and you'll see this. You know, we we provide services and 162 schools here in Marion County. We have 27 outpatient clinics spread around the count to try to make access easy for individuals. We have 151 accuse psychiatric beds. Think
about that behavior. Health hospital 52 acute detox beds 203 residential beds. And you can think of those as both kids and adults, but that's a higher level of needs. Not quite a cute but not a group poll which we have 129, group home beds. We have 28 used shelter So when kids are removed from their full, whether that's in the middle of the night or for some other reason due to abuse, neglect or any other issues. Some of us provide those services where they're taking to immediately until they can be safe until a family member. Somebody else. Can get them? We 156 cluster apartment Betts. Those are people living in apartments that a lot of times we master lease or own. But then we have people working in that apartment complex. Sometimes 7 days a
week supporting them so they can remain in the community. And then 61 foster homes. That's a wonderful item that we do. So we definitely working child welfare area greatly. But we have 25 crisis, stabilization chairs or beds. You can think about this like somewhere. And we'll talk about this in a minute. Somewhere else. Somebody can go other than having to be an acute care hospital. Maybe they just need some time in space and they can not have to go into an acute care hospital, but it also gives the community another level of resource and that continue. And then across to us, we all have a mobile crisis team.
Some of it multiple teams because got to think about this. We're in this 24 7, 365 days. A year. And so we all have mobile crisis teams now going out connected to 9, 8, 8, going out and serving people in the community. So this is a crisis continue. If there's a Hoosier in need, they have somewhere to call. That's 9, 8, 8, is the equivalent of 9-1-1. But for behavioral health, urgent needs someone to respond. Those are those mobile crisis teams I just talked about and somewhere to go that set crisis, stabilization beds that were talking about. And want to point out that we provided over 22,000 crisis
services last year. That's up from the year before. Brag a little bit. We talked about our mobile crisis teams. This isn't every individual who makes up our mobile crisis teams, but you'll see adult and child has a mobile crisis. Team Santa Ask an has a mobile crisis. Team community fair banks in fire, Indiana health. And here's our people. Love their smiles. Eager and they want to help people and they're well trained to provide services. And then again, but in the past, there's always been a strong focus on what are we doing around people with housing, insecurity, homeless issues. And I want to tell you, across this continuum, some of us do more and different things in this area that has a
collective. We do a lot of things like homeless outreach, transitional housing, rapid rehousing. I can go through the list, but you'll their 702 housing. I think I'm like unit beds, apartments, things like this that we have available to and we serve 978 individuals. Some of these people are now stable in their housing because of these interventions we've been able to do. And then I mentioned earlier 65,000 individuals that we serve last year. You can see the growth in that since 2018. It's an upward trend in last year across the 4 of us, we provided over 28 million dollars in charity care, supporting individuals. With that. I'm going to say thank
you. It's a lot of information and it's a thank you from all 4 of us for the support. Not only from this body which every year you guys have been amazingly supportive, but also for everybody else who supports us and what we're trying to do to help the community. And I'll take any questions that might be. Thank you, MISTER, for your presentation for your team behind you. On the regional health and mental health centers comes to questions. Council miscarry. Thank Thank you, MR. You know, first off, like say thank you for everything you guys do, you know, adult and child fire everyone. It's something he's really needed in Indianapolis, but bothers me that we have no
some state According numbers that you've given looks like your housing about 7 or 19 people's. That's correct around, give or take up to 800 direct 978, I think was the number. But you got to think about this. The sometimes these individuals and that's numbers up from where it was the previous year. We went from 500 some housing units to 700. The number these individuals are think very fragile. They need a lot of support to remain So sometimes when you you put an individual one of those housing units, they can be there a long time. We certainly all partner Different entities. Engel, Inglewood is one of them. A lot of partnered with on
different housing initiatives. We work with the city on how initiative and so certainly always eager to do that. It's it's a huge issue. And I want to say we have homeless outreach teams that going out trying to help individuals to come in to get into care and get into our services I can appreciate the concern right? The minimum or the homeless. 99% mental. Is that correct? Or 80%? 85 to 90%. You know I wouldn't want to put a percentage on it. I can say individuals with housing insecurity. There are a number of them that were also suffering, whether it's from mental health or addiction issues or both doesn't mean that you're impaired to such a level that they can make choices. We also we can't always. Compelled them to not be homeless. Well, sometimes
we do have individuals on commitments and we can do that. There's a whole process that has to happen. That involves the legal system to do that. Certainly there is a population within people with housing insecurity that suffering from mental health to further people still committed to the ward of the state. Of each of us or consider what's called a gate keeper to the state hospitals. There are still state hospitals and all of us manage individuals inside the state hospital last year. I can speak for everybody else. Last we got comitted 31 individuals to the state hospitals commute for Those individuals spent a little over. Thank Hugh
Midvalley. Over 1000 days in the state hospital, we work with them to bring them back as quickly as possible. Sometimes needs rise to that level. One more quote, common a You do understand the Marion County Jail largest mental institution in Marion County. Correct? I do understand that the jail certainly provides lots of services to individuals with mental health and addictions needs that's that's always interesting conundrum. I want to point out one of the things I've long said in first and I started in the justice system. You know, 30 some years ago, very much understand this. I have often felt as as society when we said we're going to I have people in asylums mental health institutions. We started this The
institutionalization. Thank you. I think also say we didn't always fun to community services. Well enough to pick a Has there been a shift sometimes to other places? Of course, I'm very interesting making sure that no individual with a mental health or substance use disorder shouldn't be in jail is not in jail and we want to make sure those individuals to come come the night of the sheriff present. It's about 48%. But again, thank you very, very much for you guys. Do you think? Thank you, Counseling. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thank MR. Heard I just want to say, I everything you guys do is her for our city. Question how people find you? How you think particularly he gives a delineation of youth and up in your care using your services versus adults. And then people have mental health issues and substance abuse issues as it referrals through. Psychologist says a law
enforcement. What does that look like? So how individuals get to us by tell you, there's not one singular way. It is so multifaceted. We could spend hours talking about how individuals get to us some use. Get tell us whether, again, 161 schools. So we're working with them right inside the school building. So, you know, if there's a child that school has raised the concern with they speak to the parents. They direct the parents on how to get a hold of us right? We don't just go start working with the kid without parents making a referral, they were resource. And so they make referrals to us. So schools refer Department of Child Services makes referrals. Police officers will sometimes bring them to whether it's or crisis stabilization center or acute care center. And then we
connect to individuals that way. We all have websites. We get self referrals. We work with primary care your family doctor might suggest you contact one of us the ways that people connect to us is just I mean, it's it's just so varied. Its its large. Council Perkins. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN and thank you for your presentation. I my colleague in saying the work that you guys are doing tremendous. Tremendous left for the city. Interesting learn a little bit more about your mobile crisis response teams. Or the kleins that that team service serve. Yeah. Please understand the mobile crisis response teams are requirement as a certified community Behavioral Health center. And so we each have to
have those the people we serve are really were service to 9.88 So individuals to contact 9, 8, 8, needing support and help we would then get dispatched to go help those individuals. They can also be a self referral. They could contact one of our access departments. We all have crisis contact numbers out Sometimes I know we have a lot of pamphlets. We believe whether it's community organizations, churches stuff like this. They handed out call this number. We will assess that individual that they need a mobile crisis response. We might self since somebody out so I can't necessarily. I don't know that I've right now in my hands have like demographic information about. But as
people who are in imminent need of support otherwise, you know, could be needing a higher level of care and support. Let me ask the question another way. Thank you for that. Is that most of the Klein's at your service to your crisis. Mobile teams are ready part of your network. I would certainly say some of them are the actual percentages. I can't say that some of them are definitely not within our care the lungs at this point in time. But thank you thing, counselor, because the boots. Jeremy, thank you. Dr Heard please give our best director overly. We have seen her there this year to she's right. Are low. You handed the baton off right that someone enjoy it. She was here. If I mess up a little bit. That's not Do I have a handful of questions? Saw this a couple in your my time and
maybe come back to him. And some of this is just a confusion over all the acronyms that fly around in this field. What's the difference between this ecb hc in the cmhc? Yeah. I think the big difference is going to be funding. But also let me say it's far more nuanced than that. In 1963. PRESIDENT Kenny signs Mental Health act. And that was to bring people out of institutions really laid the groundwork for commuting all centers. Whatever happened was the funding. It got. Funding. Added, you notice here a little bit there a little bit there. Different funding mechanism this way. What Ccbc started was at the federal level. They said, you know, our communal center process. We can't get anything past the relief fund. It, but
we can start a new service fund it right from the beginning, right? That's why said you'll see a lot of those services, the commute home centers that provide ccb agencies have to provide. The big thing is this funding is going to fund differently instead of fee for service. In other words, I have to meet with an individual for certain amount of time. And then Bill, based on time, I'm going to get paid. What is really my cost that goes into a costs report. And then when you get paid a per diem based on my visit, that should cover my costs for seeing these individuals. It should other states from Matic with increased the amount of funding we get, which help us to hire and retain more
workforce. You understand. You guys have thanked us for the work we do. I have to thank my staff all the time. It's very hard work. We're working with other people's problems day in and day Some of those individuals not even able to fully express their needs right. And so we're working with those individuals in this is you when you think about still. Behavior, health doesn't fall in that stream or hate it worse. The helping professions worse. The promotion of problem is are individuals that work for us. Why they might be highly educated. They are always highly Payton for every one of them that does this. I apologize for that. What we need is to be able to fund them well, enough to, you know, we need funded well enough that we can support in cc Bhc. Should be the goal.
One day it replaces cmhc. Both of them statutory animals from the state. Ccb agencies or federal. I'm just like the ccb agencies was established by federal law requiring the state to essentially set up mechanisms to do that here and apply for it said we want to be acc. Agency and the federal government approved it. It's so that's a good But yeah, it's federal laws that been Indiana has to adopt the carrier. What if it's the Fed? What cmhc. What is child of? So again, cmhc was born out of that. Community Health act of 1963. And again, it just put broad framework out there that states that had to try to work towards. And it set up that if there's a communal center every state has come in years, ideally, worse We're covering
every square inch of the United States as part of it. Cbc's not every state house. And yet there was an original ad and the federal government recently and they got the operate for about 6, 8, years demonstrating. Can this really improved things and And then the federal government opened up an opportunity for more states to join in Indiana said we want to be one of those next group. So in the program awarded another 8 states and so were early adopters. I think that's important to Just this question maybe ask if you could send me some information offline. Got to want to take a hard time. Here is. It from what you just described to me that considerable overlap. It overlapped means inefficient use of funds. It's it's I told you what we're required to do.
There is a lot of overlap. But you got to think about it that the sites that are demonstration already. They're really complain with the cba c in how they get funded his Upper East, which and that's important. There are still components. I said that are picked up within Ccbc. So they're certainly doing activities through their community health center part. But that number it, that activity is really smaller now than what it used to there an actual effort to replace agencies with the ccb hcc out? You know, the state will have to ultimately decide how it gets to that place. I don't want to speak for we on behalf of the state, but I believe that they expressed an intent this will be the predominant
way services are delivered in the future, how most senators is all is to be worked out. Ultimately the vast majority of the services that these individuals talking about would be delivered through this new ccb agency model of care. It's more expansive. We also have to coordinate with primary care a lot understand. Individuals with serious mental illnesses and chronic addictions on average. They died 20 years earlier. They're affected community members and so working with primary care even tighter than that. We are today this requirement. That's an important distinction should improve those individuals lives. When were questions or counselor, explain difference if you could, please, between the mobile crisis response teams
that organization look How's that interplay if at all, with the commission commission led response program and then yet cat program. Yeah, I think of what we can say is. Our 4 teams are all required to essentially do the same thing. And 9.88 will be dispatching And so working with 9 aged about how they do that. Is You is it just a round? Robin is a geographic. They dispatched that is very similar to that. Civilian clinician lead response team. Believe they do that. I do believe distinctively. They might work a little differently in that regard. Again, we also dispatched our own access winds and, you last we had
over 15,000 requests, right? So that's a big number and so you got to think about it that way. As far as Im cat differently in cat is primarily. Know what others if wrong, primarily dispatch from 9-1-1. And that's a different response. That's that's co response. Mental health and will force Thank you, Thank you. Council Council heart. Thank you. MISTER Things heard look at this slide right here. That's got the 28 Million. Number on it. I know at the beginning you mentioned that you receive a things that a point 2 million dollars, roughly gift before dollars. You can get to the city for us to distribute. So and I heard you mention that you then work with the federal do a lot of matching is the 28 million the
amount that is after using that 8 million to the match. Up to 28 is this number come that number, you know, think about in a lot of different ways. Charity care, you some individuals have no insurance. Right? So in that regard, there's really it's hard for us to match anything or hate. There's there's no cost that we can get reimbursed for. And that case were providing true charity care. There is no fund are paying us. We are required regardless of severity of condition, regardless of ability to pay. We're required to serve individuals. And so you can think about it. Sometimes providing a lot of
just how now free care. Also, a lot of times I've mentioned are breeding, it? Our funding is braided. We're getting parts from this funding stream of parts from that funding stream we're matching that of the one pulling down dollars a lot of times that still doesn't add up to cover the cost of the actual care delivered. And so that also falls into that bucket of charity care. That that's hopefuls. I mixing up 2 things that what it sounds like. The point I was trying to get to is if you had more than a point. Whatever million is there still room to match more. That gets really complicated because this whole has to go with the state Medicaid plan amendment. All rules between the state and the federal government. And of course, state I will say, is
sometimes worried about how much that's being allocated that has to then be used from state or local tax dollars to employ down federal dollars is there unlimited supply of federal dollars? We can pull down. They have to make appropriations every year we get is as eager anybody budget resolution bills at the federal level. Come up right where they are. They going to do that. And so from that standpoint, I don't believe it's endless. Yeah. I mean, technically, if we have more money, we can match more funds. Okay MR. CHAIRMAN, the reason I bring that point up in just a moment, the correlation, everybody on Committee is that right after you have a presentation from the Office Public Health and Safety? I'm looking at what they oversee, which there are
some duplicative specifically community nutrition, food policy, I'd say homelessness prevention and then behavioral health. You guys showing us a lot of great stats on doing a lot of those things and, you know, as you know, as we look at funding and how we spend our dollars I think it's something to consider do to do is in both places or is it better served? Through the hospitals so some of the considered is an observation. A minimum learned a lot today and we've heaviest conversations, but some I'm noticing I will echo back to my very first live with the hands. Where I'm going to again say those hands represent a lot of people. They represent. All of you.
They represent everybody in the community. They represent all those other service providers why we certainly want to help as many people as we can. I think we're all eager to hire more people. I don't I I can't speak for all the other 3 over there. I will tell you I would hire as many people as I could. And I believe they would do the same. But I don't think that's at the exclusion of others. There's still a shortage, whether you know, we can't make one Uber entity that's doing it all. There still wouldn't be enough. But at the same time, I do funding raises all boats. So whether it's us or the next presenters, I do believe it's critical that we received the support we did.
We love to coordinate. I will tell you, speak on behalf of all 4 of us here. If some in a team needs not wants to collaborate and work we I'm always interested in taking phone calls. Counts counts equipment. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN. To follow up on counselor Bates. So we have your mcr tease. We have the seals ERs and then we caps. So. When we look at the responses that we're doing. So with 2 groups that respond to 9, 8, 8, Correct. And then we have one group, the response to the 9-1-1. Parks. A part of my question is. And I get this kind of transfers or return next person now. Sorry. CHAIRMAN. Can I ask our director to clarify that cancer action that perfect? Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Councilor the seal Response to
9-1-1. So him cat and cdc are responding to 9-1-1. Calls. Ok? So are and they are t think you saw Rahm crt the ones that do 9, 8, 8, on. It. I believe given no a leather. I think cat does primarily get dispatched from 9-1-1. And the civilian led. I believe they also do take responses from million a Not at all. Okay. Then they're dispatched by 9-1-1. You. So this is kind of going around like this overarching and we can talk offline later. So. All of us in this room from the time that we were going to phone was and when there was an emergency, we were told to call 9-1-1. I so appreciate our 9, 8, 8, What I what I'm trying to understand and know this is a broader. If we call 9-1-1, but it really should be a 9, 8, 8. Is there. The transfer between the 2 phone numbers rate? So if I know that this should be a 9 a day
and we don't need to send out our police are 5 quick break. So is there. Is there conversation going on with that? I guess my I will tell you you're entering into water on not the best expert on poke. That's because those are discussions that happened a lot higher than service providers. And so certainly I think, you know that that's something that I wouldn't feel comfortable giving the ultimate answer on. I do believe that there's hope one day that that kind of thing can occur. Continue to sort of like a follow-up. So part of Graham thinking as right, we have budget that we're constraints and decisions to make. And so I'm wondering. If there's a way to sort of spread that. So my question is with the 4 teams that you have
your spots teams. What is that capacity like the number of runs that you're doing in a day or in a we versus? The team that they haven't is their capacity to take more. If the state or whoever would make that decision says that 9-1-1 calls can get switch 9, 8, 8, or something that makes sense. So I'm just wondering, is is there pass city on one end to help with the others to work best serving our community and the folks. A careful it's not. Not my intent to set up this or that kind discussion because we have to remember the genesis of each of these is different in hard mobile crisis is really started when we had our ccb ac designations start, which is just JANUARY. And so from that standpoint, our
capacity is growing in let want to add to for a capacity is growing this was not something we collected it collectively as a group is what collective number what we do have is collectively we all have teams. We're all supposed to be able to dispatch. 24 hours a day. It's a it's a lot of coverage for the county for certain and the folks who are doing the response, they're doing other jobs as well. They just need to be on That's one job is that mobile response? Okay. Council did you want her come forward council? Yet this. Yes on the offer. Yeah. This this going I am DR. Getting PRESIDENT Child and just add to sources said. So there is plenty capacity with our for agencies to take more. 9, 8, 8, more cause of any kind. So at the state level
we've been trying to do. Advocate for 9, 8, 9, 1, 1, in Trafford ability rights. Very complicated. So we have aj and Indian Council tried it work on it. There are some states. So story was just on this well, so we're hoping to model that definitely have a lot of capacity. And the 4 of us have been working together all for a year or 2, maybe now trying to figure out the best way to do mobile crisis within Marion County. Okay. Perfect. Yeah. And don't recreate that for somebody else doing it. But yeah, it looks. But yeah, I think I think that collaboration again, like my thought is best serving the residents in the way they need served and breaking a habit of the 9-1-1, versus 9 in it. Exactly. I don't want and I want to point out this is a required service as part of our designation. So going to
be ccb agencies, we have to do council council Perkins, thank you, MR. It's kind of 2 points. The first of which is just a general shout out to community organizing. And I'm glad to hear that 1 million dollar that was really genesis from some community organizing here in Indianapolis that the state designated about 2 years ago is now impacting Marin County. So, you know, want to to leverage of the community organizing teams out there. I was there in the state house with the team's advocating for this 2 years ago and to not know that some of that money now spend in Marion County. That gives me a little bit of joy. I will also that we just some some clarity around the mobile crisis. Team clc are in
cat. I think the direction to share. One reason why I asked the question initially because it is my understanding that your mobile crisis response team typically response to individuals that are ready part of your network. For mcat. There's a response across the city, but they're limited by time from clc. Are they respond across Marion County? 24 7 in the areas in which the designated. So I think that we need to just be clear about that because it been some conversations that are kind of staring around about whether or not we are poor in resources services that that seems to duplicated across the city. And so thank you for for clarifying that that you are required to have a mobile crisis team as a part of your state requirement. But you also serving the clients right the point of that will
say is I'm thinking back to 2 weeks ago when heard from the and the increasing number of suicide that and Marion County that they are individuals that are suffering with mental health issues that we still need to reach. And so I want kind of think about it that folks in a fallen through the cracks that we still need be able to from just just to clarify our mobile crisis. Teams are typically responding that too. Our clients who are already connected to us, but to those who are not connected. So we will accept calls from anyone whether they're connected to any of us or not. So that is different from what you had just but you yet. Your calls are coming through 9.88 and not MISS It. And I that they're not going to 9-1-1. We'll you there on the night at 8. And then sources that we have all of
our crisis lines listed. 24 7 contact us that way or be referred to us by police or, you know, ems. There's also a new initiative with it. Ms triage, a low acuity trying to get them to either a clinic or demote crisis. So that's a new initiative that we're working with as well. I will say the 15,000 some crisis services we provided last year community, the majority of them were not recline. Supporters. Council Burton do thank you. Council boots. Is your You just answer one question that was raised, the I'm on. Commission led the review. The advisory committee. 9-1-1 operators are being trained have mental health professionals in the emergency call center to take the calls in to do a triage at that moment. It's just a call that needs to go to 9-1-1. MAY
cat and said law enforcement officer or is it more purely addiction or mental crisis situation and the most that's being worked whether they can do the night. Yes, yes, night. Is not I understand not quite yet statewide. It's state line. It is now. But there's being served statewide as well because last year was not. There are still actually, Indiana is one of the better states in terms of being able to handle night 80 calls in good those within the state. So, you know, it is statewide at this point, Indiana is still rolling out mobile crisis coverage for the entire state. There's still some gaps in coverage around the Marion County. It's welcome you senators get any of the opioid
settlement money. I can't speak for everybody. It various points. I believe some of have received You know, that's not an ongoing. Always, but I can speak for everybody and how much they've received, how they received it or not. Infinitely. Do you find you mentioned earlier that it's hard to find someone that's dual trade between mental health and addiction. Notify know that those issues are often intertwined that the addiction is caused by mental health or vice versa. I ate ways is the high costs. Yeah, I mean, got to understand it. You traditionally how we trained individuals was. I work with people with mental health disorders where I work with people with addiction. But people came to with. And oftentimes we told them which
one do you want to work on first or I can work on this important need to go see somebody else to work on that what we really been trying to do is trained people to do both so that you're managing both issues at the same time, one person for one person is 2 people for one person or one person One thing and then we tried the with somebody also meant we had to work really closely with our schools, all those universities to change how they train people. We had to change how we viewed it. I really appreciate the support from all the other members hear from the communal centers because we've all really focused on been great. Wonderful. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Council. This comes to questions and one of the orders could speak to the region, health and mental health centers. Presentation. Thank you, MR. Thank all of Thanks so much. Last taking his evening is the. But we a safety director Merkley. Is. We were was where. Rich with the it ladies and gentleman, Director Merkley. It also moves Director Merkley. Thank you for your patience and your team and their patients. We hear from the office Health and Safety and Director Merkley will be presenting budget a lot of college deafening. Thank you both. Welcome. And we do have a hard
copy of your of your photo here before get started here. Well, good evening, MR. CHAIRMAN and members of the committee, my name is Andrew Merkley and the director of the Office Public Health and Safety. And I'm joined this evening by Carla Duffy, our cfo, as well as many of our team Phs. It's a privilege to work alongside a dedicated team that's focused on innovative community informed approaches to public health and safety. This proposed budget is a direct reflection of lessons learned, data analyzed and the priorities we share with this council in our constituents. This evening, you'll hear about the changes. We have implemented to hold our programming accountable, finding efficiencies and demonstrating efficacy. Phs is composed of several divisions
that address the root causes of violence, support re-entry, expand food access, respond to behavioral health crises and promote general health equity together. Our divisions ensure the public safety and public health. Our integrated and responsive to neighborhood needs. On this slide is our current organizational chart it's not much different than previous versions of this organizational chart. But I did want to highlight a couple things. First off, we've shifted the division of reentry to report to the deputy director director of Public Safety. We did that make balance the workloads between our 2 deputy directors on the screen as well as to try and create collaboration
and more communication between our division of Re-entry in our Division of Violence Reduction. Additionally, we are working to rid grade several positions to ensure equity across positions that do similar work changing some titles so that they reflect the work that individuals are doing in our agency. O p justice staff composition is diverse and continues to reflect the Indianapolis communities that we serve. Our staff composition is 63% nonwhite and 17% of our staff identify as lgbtq. Phs in its current form has been building and growing for the last 9 years. Looking back honors years of service to the community. We've had some significant successes, including the introduction of the gun violence reduction strategy in 2021. But it really started back in 2018
with our community violence reduction teen and the gun violence reduction strategy is more than just the ndp's team. It's our fellowship. It is the violent crime prevention grants and the enforcement arm through impd. Since Grs began. We've seen a 50% reduction murders and not feel homicides in the city. 65 fellows have successfully graduated and we have an additional 100 and 20 currently enrolled in the program. The Assessment and Intervention Center located at the Community, Justice campus opened in 2020 offering 24 7 behavioral health and substance use supports. If you'll recall, this is I see is kind of the growth from the Ruben Engagement Center which provided that same work previously. Established in 2021 to address the increasing number of eviction filings due
in large part of the covid-19 pandemic and help connect folks tenants with emergency rental assistance. The tenant advocacy project grew from 2 pilot courts to providing services in all 9 of Marin counties, townships, small claims courts and the Marin County Superior Court. Piloted 2019 is the pathway to employment program, which it was what came from an expansion of the parking meter hours and was an attempt to provide employment opportunities to individuals experiencing homelessness. This program was added into our operational funds and we've been able to expand and grow that since its inception. I'd like to highlight a couple
of things for that program. Number one, we've connected 450 individuals to full-time employment. Many of them to dpw to jobs here. Dpw. We've also connected to 128 to housing. I think that's critical because this population who served is often times not prioritized by our privatization process. And so the fact that we've been able to house and is is is incredible. As of today, excuse me, the community justice campuses really sloppy open JANUARY of 2022. With just overnight hours and today we are operating that that 24 7 providing individuals released with necessities and bus passes as well as rights. On the East side in JULY of 2019 arpa funding allowed to lift grocery store access
program to expand County wide. Phs is continue to fund this program providing county wide rides to those living in food deserts and over 169,000 households with access to healthy and affordable foods. As you can Phs has grown significantly both as an agency and the programming we provide to address the root causes of crime. As we continue to grow, it is imperative that our programming and operations reflect in maturing agency. As part of maturing. We are using more and more data to inform the decisions that we make. The programming that we implement the slide in front of you peaches outreach efforts in our community broken down by division. As we will as you will be shown in greater detail. Our outreach efforts are targeted to areas demonstrating the greatest
need based on data. Often individual and community needs regarding public safety and social determinants of health overlap resulting in a few justice, 5 divisions taking a holistic across a visual approach to addressing communities in need. We've instituted several policies and procedures to ensure alignment with the mayor's policy priorities and compliance with relevant laws and regulations. This slide highlights a number of those successes and a highlight with number one being our data manager position. We have. We brought on a data manager this year and that has really helped us to hone in on the data that we need to collect the outcomes for the programs to ensure that they thick. I hsus and really helping each division understand and correct. Collaborate with one another. Additionally we've implemented cross agency trainings to ensure that we're working with other agencies in
the city, in county partners. Our operational goals for 2026 are to build off the success of 2025 and leverage enhanced data management and governance practices to inform programming design and strategic investments. That includes staff training uniform data collection across programs and increased collaboration with public health and safety partners. Additionally to foster responsive community partnerships and support grassroots organizations. We plan to establish community or in the procurement which attempts to ensure alignment between the community based organizations. We partner with and the communities that we serve. Next. I'd like to discuss the public health success is that we've seen in 2025. The top program has
assisted more than 2000 cases. And was able to successfully integrate into the superior court without having to increase personnel. We are on track to surpass the number of tenants we serve last year. The 2026 budget includes an additional $500,000 for this program. It? And we will continue to work to right size this program with our county partners. Phs also provided over 2800 households with over 92,000 pounds of food, majority of which was produce. And this really good fit. This is produced that you and I would buy at the store for our families. In 2025, oh, phs implemented a new data management system for both icy and seal cr. The electronic health record system will ensure that both programs can accurately track the needs and outcomes of those served. He just continues to perform outreach activities throughout
our communities. 5 days a week tenants around the county can access legal aid and navigation services in township courts during the eviction dockets. Tenants can also reach the top team directly by contacting the Mayor's Action Center. Earlier this year. Clc are no ph has hosted 3 outreach events each and one of the 3 impd districts that they currently serve. The clc. Our staff continues to how host outreach, smaller outreach events in those same districts as they build trust and understanding with the community about how they can best serve them. Partnership for a healthier America chose to pilot a grant program in Indianapolis in partnership Phs over 1000. People were in attendance at the launch event. Pha issued 8 $10,000 Mini grants to community organizations increasing food access and our communities. I wanted to highlight a quote from one of the Pike Township
residents whose receive food from our team. I'll be honest with you. This is such a treat as much as I love fresh food. I have to prioritize medicine, gas over fruits and vegetables. Thank you so much for taking time to do this. The side before you is the food divisions, new in transit dashboard. And this dashboard reflects the new questions that programs are asking. Those served with about the additional challenges they face and what resources they need. It also demonstrates the the communities in Indianapolis who are accessing the resources Phs offers. And as we continue through these dashboards, you're You're going to see a trend. The east side of the city and the near West Side are utilizing their services more often than than
other parts of the city. This dashboard is is our Todd Dashboard. And as you can see, the number of tenants served continues to increase year-over-year. The majority of those served our African-American women. Oftentimes the children. And they're not demonstrates the areas of the city where a majority of those folks are being evicted. Moving into 2026. Pages as goals include ending chronic homelessness through our partnership with streets to home. And beginning construction of the housing hub, which will serve as a hub for all homeless service responses. Not all, but a lot of them. We are also continuing the important work of food access expansion, our food division is working to support international and local retailers and food and secure communities. This effort will help incentivize folks who live near one of these types of retailers to
engage more with food suppliers. Where they aren't typically used to shopping. Phs also plans to expand clc our footprint later this year. Throughout the upcoming slides. You'll see specific successes from community. Violence Reduction Division through our partnership with sf on in the piece in the Champions and the in the Center for Conflict Resolution. Additionally, you'll see successes from the reentry Division and the release lobby as well as the Emmy-nominated real talk episode on gun violence. As discussed earlier, Indianapolis has made measurable progress in reducing gun violence. Achieving a 50% reduction in combined murders and non-fatal shootings since the launch of
the program. This success is the result of targeted investments in evidence-based strategies, robust partnerships, focused enforcement and innovative programming that directly addresses these those driving and affected by gun violence in our city. Indy champion to serve 837 survivors of domestic violence this year and trained over 1000 individuals and prevention. This is our new Ndp's Fellowship Dashboard. Through intensive life coaching and relationship building in the piece is actively working with 120 individuals that are at very high risk of being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence. Overall, repeat that we've seen 65 individuals graduate from not 12 to 18 month program. These are lives that are being given a chance to make a choice. That's an alternative option to normal
incarceration. Our goal is to support their choice to interrupt cycles of violence and help change their lives. For each life affected by non fatal gunshot. That can cost the city almost $698,000. For each fatal gunshot that can cost the city up to 1.2 million dollars. So in the piece is just one part of a larger system, including impd and the Violent crime Prevention grant. He's working to save lives in our communities. The in the Center for Conflict Resolution is working to train community members and conflict resolution and provides free conflict. Mediation is for the community. The hospital based hospital based violence intervention or h vip program. Is a partnership with iu Health and finished its first full year of implementation, providing staff with the opportunity to meet those affected by gun violence and provide crisis intervention at
the bedside. Our Justice Reinvestment Initiative has helped more than 100 people with nearly half of those participating optional program. Re-entry division continues their efforts to assist our justice involved community members through barriers and needs upon release from Marion County Jail in the release lobby, our data indicates that individuals who choose to engage with our team before they leave. The reason the release lobby struggle with employment. Housing, instability and access to food. Phs is reentry. Team is providing direct assistance, connecting individuals with housing and employment opportunities, reentry, housing specialist works with landlords to accept individuals with the justice involved background, forming new relationships with independent landlords who are willing to house some of our
most difficult to house neighbors. We are very excited to tell you more about the reentry divisions, real talk in the nomination through their partnership with Wish tv and Voice is real talk provides youth in Indianapolis with the opportunity to share their experiences with adults and MR. CHAIRMAN with your permission, we like to play a short clip of the Emmy-nominated real talk. Sure. Thank you. Thank The and the center for Conflict Resolution is one part of our prevention education efforts in the champions continues to spread to Matt to spread domestic violence. Awareness and staff are engaging inside local schools providing teen dating violence, education. In Deep East continues to conduct coordinated neighborhood, stabilization Ys, something that we adopted from Baltimore. Guided by real-time shooting data, providing
support in the community has been affected by gun violence. This map demonstrates just one area of the city where violence reduction division is performing outreach activities. The team uses data to guide where our coordinated neighborhood civilizations need to take place on the map. Orange indicates the fatal shootings. Red is the hot homicides non-fatal shootings. Excuse me, read our homicides and blew is where our outreach teams set up their events. They're not stationary. They're going house to house in the neighborhoods, engaging with residents and hopefully getting them to come back to where they're set up to engage further and build community interest. We've also partnered with you serving organizations and impd to address youth violence trends and provide
summer programming. Through our summer. In the city partnership with the Reilly Center. A re-entry division continues to work with Thomas Ridley's. One like me organization through the Hope Hustler outreach serving individuals in our community with expungement petitions, documentation and helping reinstatement a driver's license. As we move into 2026, we have several goals. We are working with the American Institute for Research to complete their three-year independent evaluation of in the piece. They're currently in. You're one of that evaluation. As the anchor to the community Violence Intervention, Ecosystem. We're going to continue to
strengthen coordination among the community. We're also working on a full rollout of mvp of the Ndp's Data dashboard. Finally, we are increasing efforts and support for youth and youth leaving. Juvenile justice system. And now MISTER CHAIRMAN. Like to things over to Chief Financial Officer Duffy to talk numbers. Thank you. Good evening. Chair Robinson and committee members. The total pages 2026 budget by fund is 27 Million. 974,790. This Budget is comprised of 3 fund categories because all of that kind ord, dolphins. And that fun is 20 million, 504,231 opioid settlement dollars. Our 1 million and federal grants account for 4 million,
470,559. The Office of Public Health and Safety 2026 introduced budget reflects a total reduction of 516,000 246 compared to the 25 adopted budget, which is an approximately which is an approximate 2% decrease. For the 2025 introduced budget. If we include be approved, Arkansas exclude the approved tap request for 500,000 for fiscal year 2026. Okay. Just overall reduction from fiscal year 2025. To 2026. It's closer to 4%. Due to due to budget compression. Okay. Just will not be launching any new programs associated with the budget. PRESIDENT's council today. Grant Award include. To burn grants from 2022. 24 each of the burn federal grant
earmarks were awarded with the much appreciated assistance. A congressman as PRESIDENT's office. These grants are currently providing additional support services to the community, adviser, Ducks and divisions in the piece program for 90963,000 covering staff support in the division of Behavioral Health for 1 million to cover a new mental health database that will allow the coordination of services between I c r e c clc our team and mcat. The burn behavior. Health Grant also provides funding for health tool Kit program. He's going to have services and funding for a marketing campaign to reduce the stigma of seeking mental health services. Grants being pursued, include a usda grant for 250,000 over 2 years to be banished by the division
of cleaning the tuition and food policy or food chain. This grant, if awarded, will allow the food team to assist with the planning and creation of a community-driven and focus organization to implement food initiatives for Marion County. Phs will be seeking an office for victims of Crime Grant for the victim Witness assistance program to cover the cost of emergency housing and case management services. This grant will be managed by. Okay. Just a division of community violence reduction and finance teams. Grants to be issues include the elevation grant to be implemented and managed by the ending his foundation. Elevation will operate. A single grant period over the next 2 years. The 7 million not to exceed includes funding
from the 2025. 26 budgets. The Marion County Commission on News or McCoy or East will receive a request of 71,500 for fiscal year, 26. Okay. Just his character breakdown by character. The significant variance from the current year budget and fiscal year 2026. Reflects an increase of $98,973. This increase will Cola and health insurance increases for phs employees. This budget reflects the reduction of 111 $1503 in grant funding from fiscal year 2025. For the Behavior. Health Project manager, which will be covered back started county funds for fiscal year 2026. Okay. Just fte count for 2026 remains unchanged at 35 Ft.
With no change to the overall antique out. Page's leadership is making determinations regarding the current organizational chart to be to better support, both housing and priorities. The character to there are no changes from the fiscal year 2025 in fiscal year 2026. Budgets, Parker to 2, which is the budget for opiate. Just supplies for covid for Consolidated County and federal grants. The Administrative Division dhs manage the it manages the entirety of the cause it to county but supply budget of $10,000 which also includes an additional 5,000 in potential supply cost for non governmental For the Division of Administration. He's also funny to 48,400 re-entry at 25,000 the food team has
65,000 and behavior. Health, a 10,000 each reflect budget availability for the purpose potential federal grants fund. It supply obligations. The fiscal year phs character. 3 budget of 24 Million. 533,029 dollars. For context. The services reflects an overall reduction of 584,946 from the fiscal year 2025. 33 budget. While grant budgets are flat for fiscal year 2025. To fiscal year 2026. There are significant changes to the Consolidated County funds. Phs Administrative Division Consolidated County budget of 4 million, 290,216 is reduced by 1 million 84,946 for the previous year. The icy. Which is the Ruben Engagement Center because I wanted a budget is reduced by 1 million because
Allegheny County reduction is offset by increased opioid settlement funds of 1 Million. The divisions, the visions of reentry and 150,000 the Food Team, 648,000 community, violence reduction, 5 billion and behavior health. 3 million will see no change between the fiscal year 2025. Fiscal year 2026. Side of the county budgets. While the division with their cause, county budgets, of the vision of homeless eviction prevention will receive an increase of 500,000 for the total for a total budget of 1 Million. 161,480. Examples of significant projects and our contractual obligations include an overall reduction interest obligations resulting any fiscal year. 2026 obligation that is decreased
by 27,822. The Immigrant Legal Services contract is reduced from 300,000 to 200,000. The Elevation Grant funding for fiscal year 2026. Is reduced by 946 1990. The dedicated budget funding requests for the tenant advocacy project is approved for 500,000. This program is funded using federal arpa funds in the past. Phs is a pilot agency for program based budgeting. Therefore, we request Grace as we navigate this endeavor. The design program Co we'll reflect the total suggested funding level across phs fund accounts. The slide shown identifies program Kohl's with funding recommendations. For those of us who work with these programs daily, the program's name, the program names reflect how much we love
our acronyms. So for clarity, I will state the following program name of the acronyms list. It. Tap is also is is that addict advocacy program or project? Yeah. Pc is the early Intervention Planning Council for Marion County Commission on Youth. Icrc in the Center for Conflict Resolution. I receives Ruben Engagement Center at the assessment and Intervention Center. Dp is domestic violence program. She brs gun violence reduction strategy, cse our Commission. Let new response, the cnn Division of Community Nutrition and Food Policy. Program budgeting is not a new concept phs the expansion of this practice will offer greater transparency of budgets. Bn 4 city administration, the council and the public overall. Durham in a straight represents character. One charge backs general office
expenses and France. There are no changes from the fiscal year 2025 and the fiscal year 2026. Budgets for character for. For equipment. The 6,004 the Phs Administrative budget consists of 1000 available consolidated county funds for equipment cost and 5,000 available for potential nongovernmental grant funding equipment. The divisions of re-entry. At 25,000 the scene, a few of the food team has 74,000 and behavior. Health 1500 each reflect but availability for the purpose of potential grant fund. It equipment obligations. The fiscal year Page's character. 5 budget of 25,377 reflects an overall reduction of 30,273 from the fiscal year 2025. 35 budget. The Officer Corps Fossett Office of Corporation
Counsel charge back is reduced by 30,273 to 17,878 roughly services remains flat. At 7500. I would now turn it back over to our director. Thank you that. Ready for any questions that you all MAY have. Thank you. Director Merkley and a see a full comments or questions on the presentation by the House. But we have the safety Council probably low. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN and thank you, Director Mark Liam Adams, c f o de Fee for your presentation. I think. I just have to begin with gratitude and thanks. That's first of all, the ending of a very long night. Save the best for last situation. But it's a complex gamut of work that your agency
does. It's a complex makeup of budgeting structures, a variety of funding mechanisms and so I commend you for your hard work and your dedication and innovation and commitment to data-driven results in ensuring the dollars go to support the people who need them. The most. I know with the budget compressions. It's it's disheartening to have to make those cuts. And I think specifically with regard to your agency, I have a little more heartburn. And the reason is because you're the Office of Public Health and Safety and there's so many times that even this evening we heard people refer to our city and county is having a public safety crisis. A public health
crisis with regard to even gun violence. And yet to see a reduction in this budget doesn't make sense when we know these are issues. We put some doubt additional dollars toward toward housing in towards some other things. It gives me pause to see some of these cuts and that you had to go through that process to determine some of those things. Because I know those weren't even easy for you to do as well. So MISTER CHAIRMAN, my comment is really. In regard to a specific line item but I think I would have liked to have seen as I went through each character, what MAY be the reduction was year-over-year in a little more detail, MADAM Cfo, because I know you did have to to trend some things
that this committee would have liked to seen in a little more details of that, something that you can give to our cfo, Candice Hare is I'd be interested in seeing that as well. But my specific concern is 33% reduction in the budget for legal Defense fund. For those on this committee know, for MAY be those of you in the audience don't know those at home watching that fund is to support our neighbors who maybe immigrants or refugees and need legal support through some of our partner organizations public defender hasn't public defender's office has not had an immigration support division since under the previous chief Bob Hill last night. Our our
current. Public defender spoke out about pay parity issues and case support and that office struggling. So we're struggling to support the most vulnerable people in our community right now, both from a public health perspective. But even from a legal perspective, you and that just makes me feel a little bit like we say, no means city, but we don't always mean it. And I don't think that this is a good cut for public safety. I don't think any of the cuts that this department had to make are good for public safety. I don't think it's humane in some ways. I don't think it's Democratic. And with regard to the specific fund, I'm not sure that how are operating as a city county with regard to support for human beings, immigrants, refugees are neighbors. I think that's really important.
Seems to be something that could even be illegal. But I know under the federal administration, some of our neighbors being rounded up deported, not giving, do given due process. I think now is the time not for 33%. Budget cuts, but for increased funding and bolstered support. So those are some of the things MR. CHAIRMAN that as I look at this, this budget presentation tonight, I think we have a little bit of work to do with regard to phs budget. But again, cannot thank you and your team and everyone here who has showed up tonight doing the work day in and day out We just hit 9 o'clock. And I stand alongside you with a roaring belly to let you know, I thank you and
I appreciate you. And I really wish I would have ordered pizza like 2 hours ago, but that's on me. And with that, MISTER CHAIRMAN, I yield my Thank you. Council council Perkins. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I echo everything that council should vote from stomach growling to 9 o'clock hour. I am concerned just in terms off budget reduction. I think what you demonstrated to us that ultimately anywhere from 2 to 4%, 2% not included the 500,000 people. That is about 4% echoes my statement earlier, the public safety is pulled. Because we will see 2 weeks from now when impd common proposed budget in front of us that they don't they're not seen a reduction, but they actually seen an increase. And so here it is that we have a department that is specifically designed to
address root causes some of the issues that we're facing in our community and we're reducing their budget but will come back and see impd is budget in 2 weeks and will go up by almost 6 or 8%. So that's a concern. Thank you for the work that you guys are doing. I know last year this was a conversation and saw put it back out there again about the difference between causation and correlation that there's no one strategy that is causing violence reduction in our community. But thank you for the work of this department in the violence reduction strategy that we're seeing a correlation between the investment that we're making as a city and reduction in violent crimes. So I want to make that clear. My last point as a director, this is
your first time back in front of this committee since you've been appointed, would like to hear a little bit about culture and climate in the office. That was a concern for us up on your appointment. And what's your assessment since you've been Thank you. Thank you. Council. Thank you, counselor. You know, we've as I stated at the top with the organizational chart. Ensuring that we reevaluating positions to make sure that there's parity and equity across positions. Shifting some things to make the workload more equitable for both of the deputy directors of public health and public safety. I think that those have been significant changes holding each other accountable, providing trainings, making
sure that everyone on the staff has the same understanding of how a contract processes through the system. Believe it or not. These are things that not everybody understood on the team. And so by providing everyone with the same level of of information we can all. Performer rules that are. And so I think that that's those are some of the ways that we've been addressing that. We're also, you know, anytime anyone needs once needs we need to send someone to a training off offering that up. Those opportunities. And so I just say, you know, to other accountable. And we are all being provided. But with equal and adequate information to do our jobs. Thank you. Director Council meeting. Thank you, MISTER CHAIRMAN. Appreciate the time tonight. And thank you, director for no presentation for reaching out
this morning as You know, beforehand that communication is very key I just want maybe give fellow colleagues a brief reminder that we are the legislative body. We do not have to rubber stamp any budget that is introduced before this council. I don't want that to be perceived as saying that I do support taking money from impd. I don't. I think we should continue to fund and then they should see increases year over year. But you sit here and say that we need to change the budget takes political courage to introduce amendments and do So I guess we'll see if anyone has that. As far as your presentation tonight and homelessness in our city. It's clear that there's been a lot of discussions around homeless encampments everything and the one over and found square. There was a notice sent out that supposed to close within
was delayed. Did you get a brief update on that? Yes, The the encampment is closed for any new camps that move any new campers that would try to move into the area. And impd has been enforcing that closure. When we were notified that for by chip that the streets, a home initiative was going to be able to house everyone from that encampment. We pause the closure so that like the permanent closure, which would have forced everyone out in order to house those individuals because we understood that moving individuals into another part of town square, which is what happened. It's not the solution. The solution is housing. And if we are able to provide that solution and we had already addressed the public safety challenges that were the reason for the closure. We felt confident
that but that was the right decision. And so far, my understanding is that everyone who was at that camp has accepted housing and we're working over the next few weeks to make sure that they'll get housed. Appreciate that. And one quick follow-up. I before you were officially confirmed by this body, we had a meeting in your office and I asked homelessness in general and when with the city get to a point where we probably wouldn't see homeless encampments anymore. And you know really said to give you to the end of the year, you still think that's an appropriate timeline. You will see a significant decrease in unsheltered homelessness. We in partnership with Chip our.
Partners in d-Md. We are moving quickly to address the unsheltered camps in our city. And our goal is to make a significant impact before the end of the year. I will note that this is we've always said that this is a time twelve-month process for phase one of the program. And so you we will not end chronic homelessness by the end of the year, but you'll see impact. I appreciate that. Thank Thank you. Officer. Counseling. Well, thank you, Chair. First. Just want to thank the Ndp's team and crew and the orange that's out there that's been sitting here all night. We see you. Thank you for coming. Thank you, Many of our committee hearings, not just our budget ones. And so I just want to thank you first for coming. But second and more importantly for the work that you do for city, that's
clearly making a difference and just wanted to extend that. Thanks from the council to you. Second money. Main point is I really appreciate director Mark Lee. The agencies thoughtfulness and energy expended towards data collection right off the bat. You had even just putting it in your presentation right here. Numbers that capacity cases served. Things like that. The dashboards that you're showing us. I think that's really important for an agency like yours where it's it. It's a $0.20 policy choice that we're making as the city to invest I don't that total value was large. I can remember exactly the total value in your budget. It's it's a extremely large, some that we're investing. And so I think it's important that we at least take a small
percentage of that and show our work. I know counselor Perkins says that we can't confuse cause ation in correlation and we'll probably never have the magic. The magic, you know thing that's going to say exactly what we're doing is is reducing all the kind that I think we're doing the best that we can to show money that we are investing in. Your agency is making a difference in crime. So I just wanted to thank you. I recognize that it's something that I've said and. So I really appreciate that. And I do have one question related to that somewhere in here, it said that there's a three-year independent evaluation of the dp. So what is that independent evaluation? What is that gonna show? To the American
Institute for Research is performing that evaluation. Separate from us. We're obviously providing them with the data that they need in order to evaluate interviews, anything they might need. But they are they're performing that and I and I believe it is part of a larger evaluation of other strategies around the country. The U.S. Is going to tell us specifically how the pieces during. And so that is the piece he hs overseas and that we fund. And as I said earlier, there's multiple parts of the tournament reduction strategy. Thank you so much. Thank Council Council heart. Thank you, MR. Couple things. But I want to be just safe as we get. Some of that, some more conversations with you coming up future things that I think we can address. Certainly a vision grant, all that when we see those presentations, so I won't go into that stuff. But I do want to make a quick comment after multiple times this evening
that local government is political and I just got to make the comment. It's. Local governments operational until this all the time. I scream it from the mountain. Top people just want make sure the city safe. They want to make sure that the water is draining. The streets are paved and the trash being taken out. And that's we've got to continue to do. It's only political if we make it political. It is an operational structure and we need to focus on results and ultimately any of these budget presentations. That's the point of what we're trying to get to and for me, it's how can we best be the most efficient? That's I say it all the time, right? Especially as it pertains to some of these grant programs. We know that what we are paying for? We're getting the result. And and I think we're going to see that next meeting for the presentation for the x men.
But as enters what we've seen this evening, I'm interested having no learned more about what the hospitals are providing, what's the relationship like Phs and those hospital services that we just had prior to you? The clinician lead community response teams are just serving in those 3 districts. Those 3 impd districts north downtown and east and will be expanding this year. They respond to 9-1-1. Calls to Mesa and individuals that on the other end of those phone calls and Mesa, they are able to through questions what they hear over the phone. They're able to dispatch the appropriate team. So we'll see Ares only dispatched if there's no what then involved
or if there's no intent to harm by the person, right? And if, but if there is, we were dispatched impd or the mcat team at the mcat teams operating and they only operate 5 days a week. 95 so otherwise, it's it's the clc our team and they're operating. 24 7. The difference between clc are and what the behavioral health programming that we heard about earlier is that they're responding to 90 calls and that means they're funding a state is coming from the state. So they have to respond externally from Marion County. We're a seal. Cr is only funded by our funds here in the city. And so there they can only respond within the county. So if we were to go to 9, 8, 8, and change our model, that would require us to go
outside of the county for calls from homelessness credit and they they solutions for that, too. The exact same solutions, right? Master lease programs. You're asking for 8 million to go towards streets to home. They do the exact same thing. Are you guys working together? So I think that that's there's some, maybe it's a little bit completed. They are providing the services, oftentimes the housing this this wrap around supports the city is providing the funding to do that work. So we phs d-Md. We don't have teams the personnel that are going to prove provide that wrap-around service. We are going to go. We don't have outreach teams. We're partnering with all these other entities. Adult child has outreach teams Eskenazi.
They're providing housing and so will contract with those entities to perform the work and ensure that those individuals get House and state House. That's really important make sure that we're working together at the end of the day because I look at what you're like, one of your largest line items here. And that's the I c I mean, you're 5 million out minutes of all the programming. You do. Outside. It's at minutes. It's the biggest cost. And I just want to make sure that I mean those the services that one of the biggest topics like about the most is its homelessness and the correlation of mental health along with it. And so making sure that we're getting the most out of every dollar that we're allocating there. And I think the best way to do that is as part those it sounds like you but I highly encourage that we make the most of those relationships do
the best we can for the think just big Johnson Kuz agrees. Thanks, MISTER Chair and thank MR. Director for the presentation and give a shout out to all those here in the I really appreciate the work you guys icu so visible my district and thank you. Thank you all. I have so much. I would like to talk about that in interest of Just reach out to you because I know we missed our phone call the other day. But, you know, I'm really interested in and, you know, go through this list. But, you know, I lost a friend that worked with the ndp's this year and there's there's no understanding that. They need some of the service at guide individuals to So want to make sure that we keep that in mind. So that's one of the
things I wanted to discuss. The other thing, of course, I don't think we talk enough about just really the overall working environment that was dressed by addressed by my colleague council Perkins. I don't know if you actually hit some of the things I was listening for in responses. Questions all get to you on phone call on that the other things that extremely important immigrant funding and how we've some of that funding year-over-year. In a time where it's real critical. I'm hopeful that we are not going put those individuals that need that it most this year and a disadvantage. But what I do want to spend time talking about director. There's a couple of 10
advocacy and then winter contingency. You know, I want you to really break that down for me if you don't mind because if you recall. That was a really big concern last winter. So want to know where we are know. We talked about starting late last year. We talked about the challenges that that PRESIDENT Too. We talked about location that we selected and how inappropriate it was to what we used it for. That you're not going to tell me that we're going back to that same location. Schools state. Do want you to talk to me a little bit about that winter contingency and where are we what is going look like? And then I want pivot over to tenant advocacy and I got some things I want to talk about on that. Thank you, MISTER Chair Fence, ok, thank Thank you, counselor. I will continue to push back that the
facility that we use last year was the appropriate facility. And as we move into this year, we were planning to use a facility capital improvements to address some of the child. I don't want to interrupt you, sir, but are used on me that these individuals are going to have to get out of there. One location going to outside source to take a shower and that's okay. So no, the capital improvements would have a genuine when a contingency and I don't want to aggressive here, but I just I'm still trigger from last year's. Last time we spoke on this that you're living financial. So we were intending to use the school. We were working with the center township trustee to provide capital funding for that those improvements which would have put installed
showers. New water fountains. We have addressed all the concerns. Many of the concerns that brought up and raised during my confirmation. We were very far along in that process. And the ips board determined that they were not comfortable moving forward with that facility. And so. Last week, the U.S. Last week, believe we were notified that that was not going to be. Going to be able to move forward. Now. We have we're able to pivot. We have other options. We've already been talking with noble industries on the near West side. We'll talking with counselor curly know about that council out of sleaze already been there. And we are we also have a couple other facilities that we looking at that that MAY be good options moving forward. Obviously, you know, we've we've been planning for this year since before last the last winter and did. We immediately began a facility needs assessment on the school
in APRIL when that closed and that took a couple of months to get to understand what the needs were, how much it was going to cost. We've been working with the township trustee and we can do not the school board, but the school. Ips, administrative team. We this has been a long time coming in. It's very disappointing that this misinformation has caused this, but we can pivot and we will. Also breaks. Thank you, MISTER Chair. Now council PRESIDENT And I we also visited a hotel on that thought that was ideal for winter contingency. This was maybe a year ago and they it as partners with you in the winter contingency and it gives families the opportunity
have their own individual location. Are we considering that kind of set up took it to take a look at the Noble Project? The continuum of care who we've been working with him planning around winter contingency, like I said since last winter has determined that hotels are not the appropriate option. And that's because it is a lot harder to both care for manage and Henry houses, individuals. Last year we were able to re house more than half of the families that we at the school. They are more costly. And if you've seen numbers, I will tell you that they are actor. I've been operating hotels as I on act that turned. We can. Happy to talk more about it. But they are. They're inaccurate. All right. Thank you for that. And
I Marcela just finalized. Finally, just talk a little bit about tenant advocacy, uno that that continues to be a challenge and the meetings that I've had in anticipation of tonight lead me believe that there's some room for us to to grow as a as a city in the county 2. Vaughn. Alright fiction right? I know you're new in this but it's a concern has been around for quite a long time. Although we have the navigators and a tenant advocate advocates, the attorneys there. I'm understanding that's where their service stops. There's not. I think I saw in the presentation a little more assistance to individuals. My understanding is that there's there's no wrap-around services. There's no Maybe you can explain that. And then I
also understand that there are examples of where it's being done successfully and parts of my district on the side of Lawrence Township believe Warren as well. So maybe you can talk about what you know about what Laura so warm temps should, which is eviction diversion initiative. And then you can talk about where you guys stop and if there's any opportunity for collaboration so we can see that full cycle to get those individuals that probably the most shocking moment of their lives being evicted and then what are we doing? Because my understanding is that's that's where the U.S. Is. It stops. From tonight's having see that that we fund. Yeah, I really appreciate this question because it's something been working on for a long time in partnership with the Indiana
Bar Foundation. Judge Bacon all the touches around the county actually as well as some of our partners who are in the room tonight. Look, there are 2 programs we have, but we spent more than a year trying to get to a point where we could have one program because like you said, it's been efficient we have redundancies and I personally don't like efficiency. So like I we got very close. Unfortunately, there were challenges I think. Belief or not believe lake whose program was better. And so we haven't gotten there quite yet. But I already have a meeting with touch Judge Bacon on the books to work with her. I'm willing to do whatever we need to do to make an efficient program.
And finally, I'll just say that I didn't speak much with just begun so much. A source information come from many individuals that are in the administration of work. And one of the things and I'm glad you made that last point that they mention was that. Coming from your I don't think believe that you've Right up front. How that system works and where you can see improvement. I think they're understanding is that if you if you pay to fewer boots on the ground in that community, in those hearings. You have a different opinion about ways to approach. How we can solve some of the challenges that we face. Marion County, Indianapolis off of the top banks across country as leading inventions. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN counselor.
Constitutes. CHAIRMAN Thank you, We're going see nothing. Good to see you both. Just to piggyback maybe just emphasize the importance of the homelessness and eviction issue for county it's embarrassing to be on the national news about our eviction rates. I'm blaming you, but I in charge of you with the job of reducing that. And I've already had some discussions with Judge Bacon and Judge Mathis approve court. I would really like to. Kidd turbo charge of that process if senators duplication of the 2 programs were the legislative body and move till If we have to. Mean, that's what we do. And if there's pride ego is involved. Will shut that down in a heartbeat because this is too important to goof around within goes things of that
sort. We really need to get to the bottom of this program. It turn charge it. You mentioned in slides to insulate 16, particularly moving it program case management. Can you just briefly? But I've got a couple of the question, but I'd like you to expand on that point. Yeah, I to yours and council concerns. We've known for a long time since the emergency rental assistance funds dried up that we needed to to change our how we approached helping tenants in court. We've already started some of that work moving toward a more case management style getting to folks ahead of their case of ahead of their hearing by including the Mayor's Action Center as a as a call center to receive those those calls. Began creating it. Case for that individual so we can serve them better when they're
in the We are also we've like I said, as part of that restructuring of that program we were looking at how can we identify a better case management system that works with legal aid teams and integrates with them so that we can share information better and then follow them after their hearing. So that's kind of the next step. That's what I'm talking about is following them. After the hearing. But we also want to get to them before the evictions are filed. And we are working on grant last year and that would have allowed us to do some preventative work. And we were not selected for that. I would assume because of the administration changes but getting to folks ahead of time is is the goal. And we're still working on how we can
make that happen. Wonderful. Look forward to working with you and your group on that. What you're seeing, fact, in your presentation jumped out at me and those on slide 17 about that prevented shooting saves up to 1.2 million dollars. What's the basis how do you quantify that? If you don't mind, I'm going to call Deputy Director Lopez to the podium to answer that question. Sure. We haven't seen Tony in Good evening. CHAIRMAN Counselors. That is actually coming from a study that was done by the national is to Institute for Criminal Justice Reform on the cost violence. And when they did their problem analysis of the city when it came to gun violence in our city, they also did Acosta violence. And when they looked at the cost
violence, that's breaking down how much it cost at a scene all the way down to hospital bills, corner bills and things like that. We can provide you all with the website of where that caused the violence. Is that so for a homicide scene? That's 1.2 million per per person in that shooting for non-fatal shootings that 698,000 per non-fatal shooting scene that it cost the city based off of these different numbers that they pulled in. Again, we'd be able to provide you guys with link to that caused the violence as well. And this is the initiative out of Oakland upon which we based a lot or gun violence reduction yes, sir. And when you have the link, you'll also be able to see multiple other
cities across the nation and their cost. The violence analysis as well. Great. Thank you. Finally, back to opioid money because it's again, it's always enigma to me. It's been a lot of people's budgets, but no one knows where it comes And when that's going to come and how to account for it. Can you tell me Who is the first one that touch opioid money that's granted the city. To whom does that money go? I apologize, counselor. I cannot answer that question for you, but I'm happy to work them to better understand help understands be little out of the record to start. I don't know that answer, but I'm happy to work with to better understand where where that money starts. That would be helpful. Thank you. Council Council Council Perkins. You thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, just
a clarifying question that a statement mentioned that school 68 is not available. I'm not an option for for this year. That is correct to the school board said it indicated that they were not comfortable moving forward the season. And so at this point, we're still discerning what the options will be for this winter. We have one option that's pretty definitive. We have not sign any agreements or anything. We also have another option that we are fairly confident will a good location. Can we charge you to to come back and inform us about what's what's happening with want to continue? Absolutely a given the concern that the CHAIRMAN Graves is just raise around ensuring that we don't have the same things in place of what we experienced last. Absolutely. I would welcome it. My second quick statement is, you know, we've we've been
talking about the issues around eviction and, you know, the map lists being on the news for eviction rate, right? You know, I'm always I'm and the composition root cause is right. So the number there's 6 main causes of evictions right? The number one hears availability of affordable housing. So if we're going to charge you in doing the work and we have to make a commitment. So invest in affordable housing for residents in Marion County. Just a final comment. Some councils on presentation. Any one of the orders can speak to phs presentation this evening. To have a list a-list. Okay, good. So this read the first 3 names, please. And they'll come forward. Have Mark
Steven, try. Thank all to say your first and last name that would help. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Council. My name is Mark Lynch. I'm the director of advocacy for that can be 100 at work. And I'm here on behalf of our organization. Our executive director, Kate, how center egress for not being here, but she's moving in her oldest son to university today. The work we do it in the Hunger Network. It is. It is at the systems level. It supports the grassroots organization organizations who are doing on the ground work to improve the food systems. And Indianapolis. We've already experienced significant cuts in federal funding and loss of capacity. We rely on the funding from the city to do this work that is so vital. We
received no staff support from the city. So the city is only covering program expenses. We raise outside funds to lead all of these programs. A large portion of the money we received from the city. He's given away to food pantries to support their work through our grants program and are healthy, not just program. We are doing the work for the good of the food system. With no direct benefit to our organization. And then essence the money Phs gives us each year is already being shared by small community organizations. We prioritize. We prioritize grants. 2 local lead pantries and to pantries and areas that have been historically underfunded. The city contributes to these programs but does not fully find any of them, including community compass, which it
owns. We are doing the lion's share of the work to raise funds and do work and we need the city's contributions to accomplish this work. The benefits the whole city I'll end by saying is the director of advocacy. We're experiencing significant cuts at both the state and local levels, including this zeroing out of snap I hope you'll consider not only keeping our funding that 2020, 2025, levels but increasing the amount that we receive due to the essential systems work that our organization to us. Thank you. Thank you for your comments and for coming down this evening. It's past my bedtime. My name is Steve. You'll unicorn. They say that I'm unicorn because I've been a licensed in the an attorney for 46 years. In an avid eviction court watcher in Marion County for the past 3 years. But most importantly, I volunteer every week us a pro
bono attorney for tap at the Lawrence Township tenant, Eviction Clinic. I work at the intersection of rental on affordability and tenant displacement. I was so Lawrence, again this morning. Like every week I saw single moms juggling multiple low-wage jobs and sick kids. Saw people living with significant disabilities, unfixed extremely low incomes. These folks simply can't afford their housing cost. They're just one last job. One medical bill or one flat tire away from losing their homes. Tonight, I'm here to passionately advocate for the proposed 2026 budget furrow ph s with a particular focus on the funding allocated. So this tenant legal assistance project, any eviction Laden's project under the tap
umbrella. By the introduction of $750,000 in direct city funding for these to essential programs. This a step in the right direction. It's crucial to recognize this is some outfalls short of meeting the full demand for homelessness prevention services. As someone who works tirelessly to keep tenants off the streets of Marion County, I can attest that the housing navigators are indispensable. We collaborate closely to ensure that in the residents remain house. The navigators possession, unique skills and can ask questions of the lawyers cannot making those legal and housing expertise equally vital to our success. The tab sept attorneys, the
navigators are the unsung heroes of the homeless prevention system. Their dedication goes above and beyond. Thank you so much for your time for coming down this evening. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'm Tracie Pappas and the managing attorney of the Indianapolis Office of Indiana Legal Services. And we've been one of the legal partners for the tap program since the beginning of that program. You all know Marion County evictions, Indiana evictions, it's fast, easy and cheap to get an eviction in Indiana. And that tap program. I'm I'm here just tonight to talk about the value of the tap program to our clients. And you also, I'm sure all where evictions are much more than leading to homelessness there leading to job loss school changes health problems, all kinds of things.
It's a cascading situation. Almost every landlord has an attorney and almost no tenant has an attorney except for this tap program which provides tenants attorneys in the court for both advice and representation. The tap program has been able to start to level the playing field a little bit because tenants now know their rights and have a voice in court. It's also provide an opportunity for the 10 attorneys who are in the courts regularly to get to know the landlord attorneys and some good relationships. Ships have developed and they've been able to work and partner together to try to make some soft landings for tenants move You know, paying stays, agreed, move out and things like that without the scarlet even eviction, which follows tenants for a very
long time. Having housing attorneys in court for tenants regularly also allows them to cease systemic problems and take steps to correct those systemic problems, which has happened on several occasions. So it doesn't only help for that tenant, but it fixes a for everyone that's coming into that court of the tenants that Indi little services as assistant to the tap program the last several years, approximately 71% are women and most of them have children. And if you count the tenants and the children that we have assisted basically with Tennessee House members 20,000 Marion County, residents facing eviction, many women, children and men also. So the tap Pro Gram is really very important to give tenants a voice and to try to stop evictions and we can. Indiana was not very good for
tenants as we all know, but we are able to at least slow down the process and give tenants more time. Thank you very much. Thank you for your few more minutes, We have David John, in his Good evening. I'm Blair Hedges. I'm an attorney with Indiana legal One of the attorneys that provides fiction and defense assistance in the clinics have been discussing just I know we're all aware of a lot of the numbers here. Just bring it down to today's level. There were 113 evictions today in court. There will be a 400 by the end of the week. And that's a late week due to the holiday weekend. On a normal week out, expect more in the area of 600. We have throughout our time at Indiana legal services throughout our involvement with the tap program have assisted with 7508 cases. And in approximately 2200 of those who have been able to we've been able to prevent an order of eviction being injured against our clients. Some of
these clients have included disabled veteran who lost his job and was facing eviction because he was unable to enter or exit is home freely because his landlord refused to provide it, ran for his wheelchair. We're able to get the landlord. 2 forced to provide accommodation and fair Housing Act indicate that a fiction dismissed and the tenant and the gentleman has now moved on to better housing. Apart from the legal outcomes that we've been able to achieve, large part are going the program is to just or slow down the often very automated mechanical machine like process fiction and enable some human moments that can occur between. Myself, opposing counsel, opposing counsel. Tenant I've seen. I've seen property managers of other properties who witnessed evictions in court offered housing to our clients. I've
seen in opposing counsel. We were able to explain the case the eviction case in the nature of the problem enough that he actually ended up helping the client move physically packing box for them as they moved out of the property, the work we do is vital to ensure that the process can be a humane one and not just a legal one. Thank you for your comments. I feel like I'm like, I'm a piling on here, thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN and committee members. I'm John come the general counsel and ceo of the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society. We are the oldest slate civil legal aid provider in the state. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this
evening about tap, which, you know, we are a key partner Phs as my colleagues have said, I could explain my time explaining plane intricacies of the eviction process. But I really what matters most and I think and what I want to focus on this evening is how tap connects directly to many of the broader challenges that we've talked about this evening. All see the concerns downtown across across all of Indianapolis with groups of and supervise use, running around, sometimes leading to conflict. As we've heard tonight. But what often goes unspoken is how closely this ties back to housing, instability when families are evicted, they're forced into overcrowded apartments. I kinda couch surfing situations. And on this, the research is clear. Overcrowding and stable
housing leads to more behavioral issues. Lower school performance with the kids and long-term health struggles. So the vixens just push families deeper into instability and she'll in a very public safety concerns. The city you on the council are working to address. You know, a lot of times these young kids have nowhere to go. packed into into 2 bedroom apartments with 2 or 3 families living in it. There's nowhere to go nowhere to socialize. So you can imagine what's happening. You can see that so but white hat matters. It's not a what if program. It's a proven actionable solution to what's going on in the eviction world. It delivers direct services and legal representation of families in eviction court. Every dollar you invest in in this program goes straight to the attorneys and social
workers. Thank you. Thank you for your comments are coming in this evening. Thank you. Also Davidson them to of an a aid society. So I had some prepared remarks by think everyone covered him for the most part. I did just want to add. So some of the things that kind of gotten mentioned. So we are not on the east side of Indianapolis but only cover the west side of Indianapolis. And what I can tell you is not only do we have the attorneys go into the court and actually representing that actively challenging contesting evictions. We keep roughly 25% of our clients housed. So we're winning. 25 the time often because we get negotiated settlements. We paid what we call pan states. But what we're also doing that isn't really showing up in
some of the stories and what I kind of heard some comments. So we have an in-house social workers. So not only does that social worker with a coming of the victim process. She starts working with them on basic needs on support. I've seen her fill out rental applications. I've seen her call apartment complexes and say are you going accept somebody has an addiction record? What can we do to show that this person really does have the finances does have the capabilities to get them housed. So what I want close with, so I did some quick and dirty review of our attorney files. So the month of JUNE, we negotiated on roughly $500,000 of that for our clients. And that's 3 courts, couple 100 clients that the thousands we serve athletes. That's one month. We were negotiate over $500,000. So just that the of the impact of the dollars talk about here. That's the impact that's actually happening in the courts. The transactions were
actually talking about. So thank you all. Thanks for coming down. A few comments. Anyone else can speak to this presentation. Final comments, Director Marc Rich. Hello, my name is Hannah Kerr 8, immigration attorney and a small nonprofit legal service provider here in Indianapolis. Could might oppose illegal, which has been one of the organizational recipients of the Indianapolis legal, sir, Indianapolis in the Red Legal service fund funds of the last 3 years, of those illegals, unfortunately, the process of closing our doors to the due to the instability of our federal and local funding. So I'm wanting to speak here tonight as a disinterested member of the immigration Immigration, Legal Services community to request that the budget cuts. That the council
not approve the budget cut of $100,000. Immigrant Legal Services Fund for 3 reasons. First, according to the National Institute of Justice, Indiana, 68% of all Indiana immigrants who have immigration court cases do not have attorneys. The al Assaf was created in 2 2020 to as a public private partnership with the Indianapolis Foundation and the Clues Fund by leaders in the immigrant community and the city to begin to address the huge gap. Huge lack of immigration attorneys in Indianapolis. To take away these funds now would be a sharp turn in the wrong direction at a super critical time. We should instead be having an entirely different conversation. How we
can do more. Secondly, as an attorney, you grew up in Indianapolis and has a deep commitment to the community, but who also has worked other cities, including Chicago and Philadelphia, has an attorney. I've been dismayed over the last 5 years to learn how their bones are immigration legal system, legal ecosystem here in Indianapolis is by comparison to other cities. I wish I could convey in the a lot of 2 minutes the capacity constraints describe, but I fell legal service providers, including Exodus refugee immigration, the Annapolis Office of the National Immigrant Justice under Indiana legal Services, Catholic Charities and more do have biannual meetings and over the last 5 years, these weaknesses have been incredibly parent. But right when I can confidently say is that cutting the $100,000 will have an immediate impact. Lastly, as you MAY have seen, first announced their state
and federal leaders, ice is about to gain access to 2000 additional beds in the state of Indiana at Camp Atterbury in the Miami County Correctional Facility. The largest number of immigrants held by ice at any given time. The state are from Marion counties. So just ask that you not approve the cause of these fines and I'm happy to provide more information offline. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. Anyone else who speak to the presentation director Merkley. I just want to say thank you to you all for the time this evening. The work that the team behind me does Israel. It's raw and emotional. And they do a fantastic job of it. They put themselves in harm's way to make real impacts in the city. And I understand there's some challenges. Some concerns with some of the programming, but we're doing everything we can to demonstrate to you all the efficacy of our work. And we're going to continue to do
that. So thank you. Thanks much. You also set out, Tony and a study and their team of men and women for their work. The communities do those sentiments. And thanks for being patient and thank you all for your hard work in the community. We didn't go unnoticed. So thank you all for that, Tony. Shutting your team Northam's Orange and we