Indianapolis Safety

Downtown Indianapolis affected me greatly with their top notch level of security. I forgot that being out at night in city downtowns can be scary. I've been to Chicago Magnificent Mile at dusk and rightly raced back to my hotel. But Indy wasn't that way at all. I kept noticing that there were lots of police officers, two to three to a corner. It didn't hit me though that it was unusual until we were in the mall.

Circle Center Mall energizes its' shoppers with bright new stores and a carefree atmosphere. People of all ages feel comfortable shopping, eating, and meeting up with friends. During the daytime its' common to see families roaming the mall and at night it's more common to find groups of teenagers hanging out. A really neat aspect to maintain an easy atmosphere is a program supported by the mall "The Downtown Moms and Dads." They wore walkie-talkies and strolled the aisles, discouraging foul language, inappropriate attire, and appropriate behaviors. Seeing these wonderful adults taking charge of their responsibilities to our youth made me feel proud of this city. (to find out more read this article Parents Control Circle Center) We from the small towns fall on one of two sides of a coin, we are either too afraid to travel into a big city because the media demonizes them or we are oblivious to the areas that should put up warning flares. Falling into the second side, I at times forget to use a bit of caution about the time of day in regards to a location that I am in. Therefore, I really appreciate Indy looking out for me and mine.

Indy has a pretty high crime rate, with over 10,00 violent crimes being committed annually. According to wthr.cm the violence escalates in the downtown area after 9:00 pm when stores close down for the night. Groups of youth perform random acts of beatings and violence on the tourist industry. With 17 million visits to the downtown area per year the 214 assaults and over 2,000 incidents reported in a recent year could alter the profitability of this area which is why although the police see the downtown as one of the safest areas of the city they are (and from my first hand account) increasing patrols on Saturday nights in particular.