Homicide decline to start 2015 welcome news in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indianapolis police who've struggled to find solutions to a growing number of homicides are getting some welcome news this year.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated seven homicides in February. That's the lowest number in a single month since March 2014.

WRTV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1F1abXZ ) the city also saw a 40 percent drop in homicides for the first two months of 2015 compared with the same period a year ago. Police investigated 16 homicides in January and February, down from 27 in the same months last year.

The numbers don't include two fatal police-action shootings.

The decline follows two years that were among the city's bloodiest.

Police officials have said the increased homicides in recent years were the result of many factors, including an increase in heroin use.

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Information from: WRTV-TV, http://www.theindychannel.com/index.html