Alex Brooks is used to waiting at the bus stop near the intersection of Ohio and Pennsylvania Streets, in front of the federal courthouse.
Lately, however, Brooks has noticed a particularly strong fragrance – and it’s not from fresh spring flowers.
“It’s weed, man,” he said casually. “Sometimes you can catch people passing a marijuana joint on the bus stop and on the bus itself.”
It is that kind of drug activity and reports of fighting that has led the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) to increase its presence at the IndyGo bus stop and other stops on Ohio Street.
Throughout the day and evening, officers can be seen strolling around the stop, standing and enjoying a conversation or sitting in their patrol cars, all while keeping a careful eye on what takes place.
IMPD spokesman Kendale Adams said the bus stop, which is larger than typical corner stops, has been an area of concern for the department over the last few weeks, and has become a priority for the downtown district’s commander, Karen Arnett.
“We’re there during both peak and non-peak hours,” Adams said. “We have had uniform officers, undercover officers and narcotics officers down there. This is evident by the number of arrests that have been made in that particular area, at least 15 over the last month.”
Adams said officers have turned in reports about crimes such as drug dealing, acts of disorderly conduct and physical altercations.
Although some may describe the bus stop crimes as less serious, they still have attracted the attention of alarmed residents who frequent the area. Recently, some of them called in to the “Afternoons With Amos” talk show on WTLC-AM (1310) to share information about “a zoo” of drugs, foul language and misconduct.
“This is something that started from one caller who expressed a concern about the bus stop, followed by others who described an increased police presence and things getting out of control,” said host Amos Brown. “Evidently, many of these crimes took place in broad daylight.”
No one seems to know for certain when or why more crime started to occur at the Ohio street stop.
However, Walter Williams, a frequent IndyGo rider, offered a practical theory.
“Well, the weather is getting warmer and you have more kids and young people out here. Sometimes, that can increase the chances of trouble,” he said.
Adams said a larger influx of people in general can invite criminal activity, especially at a place such as the downtown bus stop.
“It’s an exchange area for bus service, so there’s a high volume of busses and a high volume of people with different intentions getting dropped off at one spot, which creates what we call a ‘vacuum’ that increases the probability of crime,” he said. “Bus stops can be discreet, and sometimes they create havens for certain types of crimes.”
Contrary to the belief of some observers, IndyGo, which operates the city’s bus lines, has not suspended any of its service to the area due to crime.
Jessica Mitchell, communications manager for IndyGo, said the company has not been forced to make adjustments, thanks to IMPD’s increased presence.
“Our job is to keep the transit running, and our schedules haven’t changed, our frequencies haven’t changed,” Mitchell said. “But we are in a good working relationship with IMPD to help them as best as we can for the safety of our riders.”
Mitchell added that IndyGo offers several helpful safety tips for customers on its website, www.indygo.net.
“The safety of our system is an important issue and is always a top priority,” she said.
Brown said he was concerned that at first IMPD seemed to indicate that the bus stop crimes took place only on weekends. He challenged the department on his show by saying that if it is serious about community policing, then it should inform the community every time there is good news and bad news about certain areas.
“If all you ever tell us is that the only time we have trouble with the bus stops is at night on the weekends, then how can we help you ‘take a bite out of crime?’” Brown said.
Adams said people can feel safe because IMPD will continue to address the issues surrounding the bus stop, and that officers have been dealing with misconduct, enforcing the laws and arresting offenders.
“We have dozens of officers in the area doing this, and downtown crime has fallen 15 percent since January,” he said. “I’m not sure what more the department can do.”
Adams added that this is not a police issue, but a community one.
“We have to address ourselves and how people behave in public, and that’s what this is all about,” he said. “Police are just responding to the symptom of a greater problem. People need to take responsibility for their own actions.”
Part of that responsibility, Adams said, involves making better choices involving bus stops. People, for example, should only come to the stops when they have a legitimate need for service.
“We don’t need people just hanging out downtown on the bus stop waiting for something to happen,” Adams said. “Some people purposely let four or five buses they can use go by just so they can sit there and congregate. That behavior encourages criminal activity.”
Williams said he is fine with the police at the bus stop as long as officers continue to have a non-imposing presence.
“We do need to keep order, because so much business is transacted here,” he said. “I think they have just enough guys standing there to let people know if you act up, they’re going to take you around the corner to jail.”
IndyGo rider Michelle Bolden said she has taken note of the sharp increase in the number of police at the stop.
“I’ve noticed all kind of police out here because of the crime,” she said. “I guess it’s making a difference, because I haven’t personally seen anything illegal.”
