Aggravating Assaults
As you know I recently posted the overall crime stats for the City of Indianapolis. Although crime was slightly down in almost every area, the city saw an increase in aggravated assaults from 2009 to 2010. The number went from 5,271 to 5,726. Democratic Mayoral candidate Melina Kennedy has used those figures to argue the city is unsafe and as part of her overall crime-fighting strategy she would go after illegal guns. Noble goals, sure. However, the reality paints a somewhat different picture than what Melina would like you to see.
If you break down aggravated assaults by zip code, you will find that most of the aggravated assaults take place in 10 of the 37 zip codes in the city.* In fact, 60% of the assaults (3,516) occurred in the following zip codes – 46201, 46218, 46203, 46222, 46226, 46227, 46241, 46219, 46235, 46208. An issue, sure. Is Indianapolis Mos Eisley spaceport? I don’t think so.
And even if you breakdown how the assaults take place you will find that guns aren’t the necessary weapon of choice. In those same 10 zip codes the number of assaults with a gun was 616; that’s about 17% of the total assaults. A closer inspection of the numbers shows that 801 assaults (22%) were committed by someone using their hands, fists or feet. 478 assaults (14%) were committed with a knife. And 1,524 assaults (43%) were committed with “another weapon” i.e., baseball bats, tire irons, frying pans. Using Melina’s logic, illegal hands and fists are more of a problem than guns; not to mention those “other weapons”.
Can the city do better on crime? Sure, cities can always do better when it comes to crime prevention. Is Indianapolis Dodge City? No. Do some people running for public office wish it was? Probably.
*Editor’s Note: I’ve included a breakdown of assaults by zip code and types. As well as the most recent IMPD map of where they occurred.
