I’m Fine. The System is Not.

How was your weekend? Here was the notable event from mine:

I was visiting a friend down in the city. I was heading out around 11PM and I drove through a flashing yellow light, proceeding with caution. Another driver blew through a flashing red and clipped me, disabling my car.

I stepped out to check on the people in the other vehicle. But they decided they didn’t want to talk and sped away. Or in plain language: it was a hit and run.

This is where the story becomes ridiculous. I called 911, but took most of an hour before a police officer showed up. I managed to get a plate number from the SUV that fled the scene, but it won’t matter. I called this morning to see if a detective had been assigned. But IMPD explained, and this a quote, “We no longer investigate minor hit-and-runs.”

Someone from my insurance company confirmed that this policy is becoming more common, even with all the evidence available. For me: I had witnesses who came up after the accident to report on what they saw from the other side of the street. There are exterior cameras on the businesses that surround the intersection. The debris included identifiable parts from their car. And again, I got their license plate.

But none of this is relevant because Indianapolis no longer investigates minor hit-and-runs.

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I could dismiss this story because it didn’t happen in my district. Or I could note that police departments are connected to cities and not the US Congress. But the problem is the system and exists at every level: our government does not have the capacity to handle routine business.

This failure is widespread and ongoing. It is not caused by any one political party but by leaders from all backgrounds. We are not doing even the basics well, because our politicians are more focused on division than they are on getting things done.

What we want is clear. Crimes should be investigated. Government should do its job. People should be able to trust that the system works.

But we can’t, because it doesn’t. And the only hope we have is to change those who are in charge and who are failing us, the people.

Vote them out.