A City-County Council committee voted 11-1 Wednesday night to move the nearly $400 million Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department budget for 2027 a step closer to approval.
Democratic Councilor Crista Lee Wells cast the only dissenting vote.
The full council will hold a public hearing on the spending plan at 7 p.m. Monday in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building. The council will take a final vote Oct. 19.
The budget makes up nearly 25% of Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett’s total spending plan.
Democratic Councilor Leroy Robinson, chairman of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, said the vote was “a testament to the good work of the people in Indianapolis and all of our agencies.”
However, Democratic Councilor Jesse Brown said the police department should justify the increase before receiving approval.
“I think the more reasonable thing to have happened is for committee members to have voted ‘no.’ IMPD is asking for an 11.5% increase; $400 million that’s taxpayer money. This isn’t an anti-police thing. It’s a government transparency and accountability thing,” Brown said.
The budget would fund 1,743 sworn officer positions. IMPD currently employs about 1,383 officers, leaving 360 vacancies. Department officials say the money will help with recruitment, overtime, and officer retention.
The budget also includes funding for Flock license plate-reading cameras. The technology has faced scrutiny after five IMPD officers were criminally accused of misusing it.
“We still have not seen transparency around what Flock audits are happening in the future. We haven’t seen who is having access to these cameras,” Brown said.
On another topic, Robinson addressed the heated meeting earlier this month when protesters were escorted out. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued a court summons to an Indianapolis man after he allegedly refused to leave the City-County Council committee meeting and tried to strike a deputy.
Robinson said, “These committees have to have rules. We have to have law, We have to have order. Individuals get to testify publicly at every one of our meetings. If they want to, they can come up. They have to follow the rules, and this committee will run that way. Those who follow the rules stay. Those who don’t leave.”
As part of the 2027 budget, the committee also discussed waiving electronic ankle monitor fees, which could result in a $1.5 million loss. Robinson said he supports the waiver because those accused are presumed innocent.
This article was written by Cat Sandoval for WISHTV.
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