In an effort to address violent crime in the city, the Gary Police Department wrapped up a four-year partnership with a U.S. Department of Justice program.
The department was involved with the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance through the National Public Safety Partnership, which is designed to help communities address violent crime with evidence-based strategies and federal resources, according to a Wednesday news release.
“PSP has provided the Gary Police Department with the tools, training and partnerships needed to build a smarter, data-driven approach to policing,” Chief Derrick Cannon said in a news release. “Our officers now have access to state-of-the-art technology and stronger investigative resources, which are helping us make our community safer and restore trust.”
According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance website, the program was launched to help communities “suffering from serious violent crime problems” to better fight crime.
Nearly 70 cities are part of the PSP program, according to the website, including Gary, Indianapolis, Chicago and Springfield, Illinois.
The partnership is in its 10th year, and combines various DOJ offices, including: the Office of Justice Programs; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“From starting with five jurisdictions to now working with 67 jurisdictions in 10 years, PSP has provided the Department with a new approach to work with local jurisdictions,” Kerry Yerico, Bureau of Justice Assistance senior policy advisor and PSP program director, said in a statement. “By coordinating across multiple DOJ components and using our collective resources to partner with local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice and community stakeholders, we were able to reduce crime.”
In 2024, Gary saw 40 homicides in 2024, which is a 23% decline from 52 in 2023, according to Post-Tribune archives. Last year had the lowest number recorded since 2018, and the police department had a 74% closure rate, surpassing the national average of nearly 58%.
The police department originally had a three-year commitment with PSP, but the partnership was extended one year because of the “positive action in 2024,” according to the Gary news release.
Through the PSP, Gary created its Real Time Crime Center in November 2023, with more than $1 million in new technology investments, including license plate readers, stationary video surveillance, integration with officer body-worn cameras and partnerships with local businesses to use private surveillance feeds.
The crime center serves as a way to help monitor incidents in real time, track suspects more effectively and coordinate emergency responses, according to the city, and it also serves as a hub for disaster response and public safety events.
According to the police department, it has strengthened its partnerships with federal, state and local agencies since it joined the program in 2021. In addition to federal agencies, the Gary police have stronger relationships with the Indiana State Police, Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
“These partnerships have been critical,” Cannon said in a news release. “By coordinating across agencies and leveraging technology, we’ve improved our ability to solve crimes and prevent violence before it occurs.”