Mayor Joe Hogsett, along with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Bryan Roach, introduced Shonna Majors as the new director of community violence reduction on June 6 during a press conference.
Majors will serve as the liaison between community groups and law enforcement to decrease violent crimes within those communities. She also will oversee the Indy Peacemakers, who assist neighborhoods in crime and violence prevention.
“There is no one better suited for this position,” Hogsett said. “Violence has seated its way through neighborhoods, taking too many lives and shattering families in its wake. Through this, we will continue our march towards eradicating violence that threatens our community’s peace.”
In addition to introducing Majors, Hogsett also introduced a new grant for community organizations working to reduce and prevent violence. This grant will provide $1 million in the next three years to neighborhoods throughout the city.
Also, IMPD will partner with the Indy Peacemakers to focus on crime intervention within communities.
“We are so glad this day has come,” Roach said. “We’ve (law enforcement) spent a year focusing on guns and those perpetuating the violence. With this partnership with the Indy Peacemakers, we are focusing on bridging that gap with the community.”
Majors begins her position on June 18 and plans to hire Peacemakers who have lived a lifestyle similar to the people they want to reach, she said.
“We will not change things overnight,” Hogsett said. “But we have great optimism. Shonna will be very dedicated in putting together Peacemakers for a coordinated crime prevention front.”
Contact Staff Writer Loren Dent at 317-762-7853.
Shonna Majors was named director of community violence reduction. (Photo/Jerome Brewster)
