On Feb 11, IMPD Downtown District held a second community conversation, with another tentatively in the works for later this year. Downtown Indy participated in both events, as did numerous city agencies including the Department of Public Safety, Community Court, Code Enforcement, state agencies, Alcohol and Tobacco, IN State Police, Indy Humane and IPL. There were many more entities that participated, and perhaps this limited list will entice you to attend future events to become acquainted with the different groups on a personal level.
Downtown District’s Community Conversation is different from any other. Rather than a panel of representatives making preliminary statements and then taking questions, Downtown District has each organization at tables throughout the room, each armed with detailed instructions for interaction and documentation. Every person has the opportunity to inquire as to the agencies’ functions, voice a concern or make a suggestion for correcting a problem. The agency representative records each conversation so that information can be shared later in the evening with everyone.
Officers Tom Goodwin & Joe Simmons, part of Downtown Indy’s Bike & Walking patrol, help keep Downtown safe.
When the open session concludes, Downtown District’s Commander Arnett has each agency choose one item from their individual conversations to share with everyone. At this meeting, interestingly, many people commented they knew nothing about Code Enforcement. Indianapolis Animal Care and Control encouraged everyone to visit the facility now and see how the operation continues to improve. The Fire Marshall invited the audience to experience the Survive Alive House on Mass Ave.
I like this forum. It creates more personal interaction, encourages participation and offers information for people who want to be involved. This is a face-to-face undertaking, on both the organizations’ and public’s side, that garners real conversation beyond talking to a disembodied voice on the phone, or sending an email to customer service. My advice: if you want to know about Code Enforcement, come to the next Community Conversation!
