Violent weekend in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Community leaders are calling for action and accountability to address youth violence, but Indianapolis organizations that focus on helping youth say the problem is more complicated than how it seems.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department stated that the issue is not about staffing as they have officers on patrol downtown, but is is about where juveniles go after they’ve been put in custody. The only legal place to take juveniles is the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center, where space is limited. To address this, IMPD is exploring new community partnerships to provide more placement options.
Aaron Green, CEO of Struggle Made Us, a grassroots youth mentorship program, says there are not enough resources. “Parents, I understand that finding mentors and community organizations is what people would love to do. But the truth is, there’s not a lot of us to serve the needs of everybody.”…