Mrvan obtains federal funding to help improve public safety in Gary

The Gary Police Department is preparing to expand its network of fixed and mobile license plate reader (LPR) cameras using $264,000 in federal funds earmarked for the project by U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland.

The Northwest Indiana congressman said Monday he was honored to support front-line police officers and their work to improve public safety in the Steel City during a tour of the Real Time Crime Center inside Gary's police headquarters building.

"The license plate readers are the technology that allow our police departments to have eyes and ears where policemen and policewomen can't be," Mrvan said.

"But this investment is just not about technology, it's about building trust and ensuring the safety of every resident in the city of Gary."

Gary currently has 73 fixed LPRs and approximately 100 mobile LPRs attached to police squad cars and other vehicles that each capture an image of every license plate they see, said Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon.

He explained police officers can use the license plate images to track a vehicle in real-time as it moves through the city, or on a historical basis by, for example, reviewing all the vehicles that passed near a crime scene for hours or days before or after the incident.

"This has given us an opportunity to be able to provide live and historical mapping over our public safety interests," Cannon said. "The overall goal is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Gary."

Cannon said he didn't yet know how many additional cameras the money secured by Mrvan will purchase. But he expects more of the new cameras will be mobile than fixed so they can be deployed and redeployed in areas where the cameras may help reduce crime.

"We are honored, we are excited to be able to expand the footprint that we've already laid down here," Cannon said.

The federal funds for the Gary cameras were part of Mrvan's $16 million in Community Project Funding requests included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 that was approved by Congress and signed into law by Democratic President Joe Biden in March.

Mrvan also designated federal spending for new cameras, radios and other technology for the police departments in Hammond, Merrillville, Michigan City and Munster in the federal appropriations measure.

The federal spending was supported by Mrvan and the entire Indiana congressional delegation, except for U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate; U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., the Republican nominee for governor; and U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Noblesville, records show.

Ellis Dumas, chief of staff to Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, said he's grateful to Mrvan for helping Gary make additional investments in technology that will keep the streets safe.

"Here in the city of Gary we have made public safety a top priority. We know that safety is truly about the community's well-being. Our residents deserve safe neighborhoods where they can grow, raise families and build their dreams without fear," Dumas said.

Mrvan has requested $11 million in Region earmarks in the 2025 federal spending proposal, including money for police technology upgrades in Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Griffith, Hobart, LaPorte, Schererville and Valparaiso.