Summer months become notoriously violent in Indianapolis. The sun stays out longer, the days and nights get warmer, and a long-recognized correlation between weather and crime becomes apparent just as it has in years past. Government officials, as well as grassroots organizers, are planning for another summer of pushing back against crime and violence.
The Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS), along with Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, announced a broad violence prevention strategy in early June that includes āsafe Saturdaysā for youth.
Shonna Majors, director of community violence reduction for the city, said part of āsafe Saturdaysā will involve working with the parks department to let neighborhood children swim for free at their local public pool. There will also be a summer reading program where residents can volunteer to read to elementary-aged children, as well as activities such as kick ball tournaments. Majors said no matter what the activity or program is, there will also hopefully be a barbecue to go with it.
āIt gives people an opportunity to have their children be involved,ā she said. āOur focus is on the youth. We want to provide some great ways for kids to have things to do while school is out, while their parents are at work, that gives them a safe place to be with their friends.ā
From May 30 to June 12, there were 6,985 violent crimes and property crimes reported in Indianapolis, according to data collected by CrimeReports. That was an increase of 1,283 crimes over the previous 30-day period. Nearly 70% of violent crimes over both time periods happened between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m.
Thatās why OPHS has also started doing night walks, where volunteers from some neighborhoods, including the downtown area, walk their communitiesā streets starting around 8:45 p.m. and do outreach to youth. Itās also a chance to identify citizens who might need help keeping up with yardwork and other outdoor maintenance.
Brandon Warren, who founded We LIVE in 2017 after his friend Dijon Anderson died in a shooting, said efforts such as āsafe Saturdaysā are good, but they need to be expanded, and leaders need to pay careful attention to how theyāre presenting their message.
āOne of the truest and most heartfelt ways is to stay true to your story,ā said Warren, who went to Warren Central High School and is a student at Ball State University. āTell your own testimony.ā
Warren said itās been difficult to come to grips with the root causes of crime and violence ā heās lost four or five friends and classmates to gun violence ā but added it needs to be understood that itās about a lack of resources and opportunities.
āNo one is born angry,ā he said. āNo one is born violent. Itās based on a lack of resources and systemic issues. Until we can give young people resources and opportunities, then we canāt fix the issue.ā
Along with āsafe Saturdays,ā IMPD and OPHS will try to connect young people with jobs and job training through Project Indy, Hogsettās youth jobs program. Two Peacemakers, part of OPHS, will be tasked with intervening with young people who are most vulnerable to commit a crime or become a victim of a crime.
Keeping young people ā especially children ā occupied with events and activities isnāt a novel or new idea. Beatrice Beverly, program director at Stop the Violence Indianapolis, echoed Majorsā sentiment about offering something positive in place of turning to the streets.
āMy opinion,ā she said, āis that when youth have other activities, other positive activities, they can participate in, it keeps them from being idle and from having the ability to get into things that are not so safe and productive.ā
Stop the Violence will host a retreat in July for girls ages 12-16. The organization is also helping to host free mental health seminars with a focus on minority communities.
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
GET INVOLVED
āSafe Saturdaysā
If you would like to get your neighborhood involved, email Shonna Majors at shonna.majors@indy.gov.
Stop the Violence Indianapolis girls retreat
What: The TALKS Identifying the Mirror in ME
When: July 8-12
Cost: $25 application processing fee
More info: stoptheviolenceindy.org
Mental Health Seminars (all start at 10 a.m.)
July 27 at Raphael Health Center, 401 E. 34th St.
July 6 at John H. Boner Community Center, 2236 E. 10th St.
Aug. 10 at Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, 8902 E. 38th St.
Aug. 17 at VA Hospital (basement auditorium), 1481 W. 10th St.
We LIVE Peace Walk and Community Day
When: Aug. 10 ā Peace Walk at 10 a.m., Community Day at noon
Where: Peace walk starts and ends at Washington Park, 3130 E. 30th St. Community Day is indoors at the park.