Indy Murder Rate Up 37%!

A recent string of murders has pushed Indianapolis' murder rate up 37% over where the city stood at this point one year ago. The Star reports that the city has suffered from 81 murders this year compared to 59 a year ago this same date. Four homicides occurred in the last 24 hours. The city was horrified by the execution-style killing of 7 family members earlier this summer on the near eastside Hamilton Street neighborhood. At the current rate the city could see a record 140 murders by year's end. Here's IPD's reaction:

A deadly 24 hours in the city has puzzled investigators, who find themselves trying to understand what led to a spate of as many as four killings.

There were no quick answers to stopping the homicides. Deputy Chief Tim Foley of the Indianapolis Police Department said that while officers can work closely with neighborhood groups to deter some crimes, murders are impossible to predict.

“When I was a kid … people punched each other in the nose,” Foley said. “They don’t do that anymore. They pull guns and shoot each other.”

It's an election year so look for the blame game to begin soon. Republicans will blame Sheriff Anderson and Mayor Peterson for a failure of law enforcement. And Democrats will blame Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi for a failure of prosecuting enough criminals and keeping them off the streets.