Indiana State Police superintendent responds to calls to reinforce IMPD INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter on Thursday said there are no specific plans to surge troopers into the city, but troopers can move in quickly if asked. Carter’s comments came a day after Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder called on the state police to send additional troopers into the city to help fill gaps left by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s officer shortage. Carter said he has not yet received any requests for help from IMPD Chief Chris Bailey and there are currently no plans in the works to redeploy troopers to the city. He said if Bailey decides he needs help, all he needs to do is call. “The chief just needs to give me a call and let me know what he needs, and I’ll do everything within my power to send him whatever resource he might request,” Carter said. Snyder’s comments came a week after a hearing in which Bailey told city leaders his department is down to less than 1,400 officers out of a total authorized strength of 1,743, and Marion County actually needs, “Well over 2,000 officers to properly patrol and protect it in the way that it deserves.” Snyder told reporters on Wednesday his union expects about another 200 officers to leave IMPD by the middle of next year due to retirements. Bailey on Wednesday said his command staff is continually monitoring the city’s needs and IMPD’s ability to meet them. “If and when we get to the point where we have to make contingencies, I think that the people of Indianapolis should trust that their leader, in me, having already been thinking about these things,” Bailey said. “My team and I have been thinking about what happens when we get to certain points for some time, and we’re not there yet.” State troopers already operate in Indianapolis as part of their normal patrol duties, and Carter said they have assisted IMPD in the past with patrolling crime hotspots and organizing task forces. State troopers also responded to this past weekend’s illegal spinning events alongside IMPD officers. Carter said if Bailey did ask for ISP’s help, he could make troopers available right away. He said ISP would begin by sending in troopers who are already assigned to the Indy metro area and thus know the area. Troopers would operate in support of IMPD if that happens. “It’s a tiered process,” Carter said. “It doesn’t have to be formalized. Things happen too fast in our world for that to happen.” Carter said ISP has reinforced municipal agencies before. He said ISP recently wrapped up an 18-month mission in Gary in which state troopers provided daily patrol duties and a senior member of his staff served as interim police chief for six months. Indianapolis would be a much heavier lift. Census data show Gary has a population of 69,000 people and an area of 57 square miles. Indianapolis has nearly 890,000 people and covers 368 square miles. Carter said his force currently numbers about 1,200 troopers. He acknowledged a long-term surge in Indianapolis would reduce the number of troopers available for the rest of the state, but he said ISP could certainly manage a short-term surge.