Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition steps up to ensure safety for youth

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition will help keep the peace downtown this weekend for the WNBA All-Star Game and Indiana Black Expo.

The faith-based organization is one of several stepping up to address growing safety concerns for the city’s youth.

The meeting comes after the Fourth of July mass shooting downtown that left two teenagers dead and five others injured. The Ten Point Coalition announced it will be downtown this weekend with six teams to help de-escalate tensions and connect with the youth.

“We want the kids to enjoy themselves with the expo and all the events with the WNBA, and we’re just down there to ensure that happens,” said Rev. Charles Harrison of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition.

Zenobia Haynes is the only parent of young children who attended the community meeting. She’s a single mom of 5 boys and 4 girls.

“This place should’ve been filled up with all kinds of parents and children,” Haynes said. “This is a very important issue right now. When things go bad, then you want to be on TV mad and crying. I want to be up here before things get bad.”

Haynes said her kids sometimes go downtown to hang out. She said some challenges she and other working parents face are navigating work schedules, staying informed about what is available in their communities, and figuring out transportation to get to community events.

“I know there’s organizations out there, but everyone cannot provide transportation,” Haynes said. “We need more mentors for these boys, and at the end of the day, there’s Black business owners and I challenge them anytime to walk there and take one of these young men’s hands and say do a job.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department identified a few hotspot areas downtown where teens tend to hang out. They include Monument Circle ,the canal, Steak N Shake, and Taco Bell near the mall.

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said officers will enforce the city curfews.

“The goal is to not arrest any kid, it’s to reunify them with their family member safely and that they’re able to enjoy whatever they’re doing safely and get back to where they came from safely. That’s the goal,” Bailey said.

Community leaders want parents to know that even though the focus is on downtown this weekend, the Ten Point Coalition and mentors will still be in the communities that need it most.

“They bring the resources, they bring people who know how to talk to our young people, and they bring that trust factor,” said Gregory Wilson, a community member.

The Ten Point Coalition will continue its street outreach throughout the summer, especially on weekends, when young people are most at risk.

About The Author

See author's posts