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To my Carmel neighbors:
I moved to Carmel for its schools, neighborhoods, and safety. I’ve never been involved in Carmel politics, and I’ve never written a letter to the editor.
But I’m stepping forward today because the race for Carmel Mayor is just too critically important to remain silent.
I hate to say this out loud – but Carmel is starting to experience a crime problem. The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police has been warning us for two years. They’ve been consistently vocal on social media, telling us that Indianapolis violence is “surging and spreading” to the suburbs.
In the last three months, our CVS experienced an armed robbery and a drive-by shooting sprayed bullets from 96th Street to 106th Street along Westfield Boulevard, resulting in two arrests for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. And this week, the Carmel Police Department released the hard data and crime statistics from January through September: Residential Entry is up 40 percent, Burglaries are up 11 percent, Damage to Property is up 32 percent, Theft of Motor Vehicles is up 25 percent, and General Theft is up 15 percent.
I hate to write this about our extraordinary community. But, we need a Mayor who isn’t scared to talk about it, that will make public safety the No. 1 priority, and that has the courage to share a detailed public safety plan in writing (suefinkam.com/elevate-carmel).
Where does Miles Nelson stand on these issues? We don’t know because he hasn’t put a substantive plan forward. When pressed, like at the debates, he said “I plan on doing what Mayor Brainard has done…” or, “I’ll visit other cities and bring the best ideas back to Carmel.”
That’s not enough. It’s not courageous and it does not inspire confidence. We need a leader, not a follower.
The Carmel Police Department has vetted both candidates and Carmel FOP Lodge 185 has endorsed Sue Finkam. I’m not a public safety expert, but I’m listening to our experts and I’m voting for Sue!
Please vote. Don’t take this election for granted. This next four years could make an incredible difference in our community, and public safety will be the most important factor in that equation for our families and our neighbors.
Marilee J. Springer
Carmel