LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana's governor is taking new steps to address equality, inclusion and concerns over racial injustice by creating a new spot in the state's government as well as requiring Indiana State Police troopers to wear body cameras.
Gov. Eric Holcomb on Tuesday announced the state's first-ever Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity officer.
"This person will be a member of the governor's cabinet, reporting directly to me, and this person will focus solely on improving opportunity and state government operations," Holcomb said.
The officer will help state agencies create a plan to remove barriers in the government workplace, as well as services provided by the state.
The hope is that this will drive systemic change in the state, making it a place where "every Hoosier has an equal opportunity and access to achieve our founders' vision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Holcomb said during a press conference on Tuesday as he described racism as "a virus that's equally voracious" as the coronavirus outbreak for both the state and the nation.
The governor also announced that he will require every ISP trooper to use a body camera in the field by spring 2021.
"For my part, I commit to you that I will work to be a barrier buster. I commit to bring greater equity and opportunity within your state government and the services you entrust us to provide, so that every Hoosier can take full advantage of their gifts and potential," he said.
State police will need to spend about $5 million to purchase body cameras for some 700 troopers, with it then costing about $1.5 million a year to manage the video data, state police Superintendent Doug Carter said.
Holcomb also said an outside review would be conducted of the training practices and curriculum at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, which is operated by the state police and provides the basic training of new officers for most police agencies across the state.
The announcements come a week after the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, which consists of 13 Black Democratic lawmakers, called for an increase in accountability for Indiana police officers — including body and dashboard cameras for police agencies statewide — and 11 weeks after protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota turned violent in Indianapolis, leaving behind widespread damage to businesses in downtown Indy.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers, a Black man who is challenging Holcomb in the November election, called Holcomb's actions "disingenuous," for coming after nearly 16 years of Republican control of the governor's office.
“This is an effort to make people feel good about his willingness to address a set of issues that up until now he’s not been willing to address,” Myers said in an interview.
Myers, who is the first Black major party nominee for Indiana governor, said steps such as requiring police body cameras should have been taken years ago, while he questioned the equity officer would have the authority to make significant changes.
Myers also faulted Holcomb and Republicans who dominate the Legislature for not earlier tackling problems such as low teacher pay and a lack of public health funding that have disproportionately hurt minority communities.
“I just think it is disingenuous to make us think now that there is a genuine concern when there hasn’t been for such a long, long time,” Myers said.
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