INDIANAPOLIS — Mayor Joe Hogsett recently introduced the first two Indy Peacemakers, James C. Wilson and Robert Fry, who will provide day-to-day operational and capacity-building assistance to community groups engaged in violence prevention. They will serve under the guidance of Shonna Majors, who was hired last month to serve as the City’s first Director of Community Violence Reduction.
“Indianapolis is in the midst of necessary criminal justice reform, and the most effective way for our efforts to leave a lasting impact is immediately getting boots on the ground to let our neighborhoods know that change is coming,” said Mayor Hogsett. “With Shonna’s work to hire these first two Indy Peacemakers, our residents will have a bridge to the public safety partners tasked with serving and protecting them. And together, we will create a brighter and safer future for all people.”
A native of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, James Wilson learned tough lessons at a young age, serving time in the correctional system for his involvement in the drug trade, violence, and other criminal activity. Following his release from prison, James has dedicated his life to creating a more positive and productive future for his children, and all children in the city. James founded and served as executive director for Circle Up Indy, an organization focused on economics, education, employment, mentorship, and health services for youth and families in the Martindale-Brightwood community and beyond.
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Robert Fry
Robert Fry grew up in some of Indianapolis’ most challenging neighborhoods and turned to street activities as a means to support himself. At an early age, Rob experienced the trauma of losing his best friend to gun violence and resolved to leave the streets behind, completing his education and building the skills to help others in our community better their situations. Prior to this position, Robert served with a variety of social service groups including the Indianapolis Housing Agency, the Indiana Developmental Training Center, and Exodus Refugee.
“Pairing crime data with the neighborhood-level knowledge that has resulted from our return to beat policing, our officers have been able to target violent offenders more effectively and continue to take illegally-possessed weapons off our streets,” said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “Shonna and the Indy Peacemakers will complement these enforcement efforts, directing the resources into our neighborhoods that address underlying issues and help prevent acts of violent crime.”
While crimes like robberies are down across the board in the city, 2018 has seen a surge in murders over last year’s record-breaking murder rate. Last December, the Hogsett administration announced a comprehensive violence reduction strategy. The goal is to disrupt the spread of violence and foster positive community engagement. The city announced it will crack down on the illegal possession of guns by violent criminals, invest in neighborhood level interventions, and expand social services for the needy.
In 2016, the Mayor abolished the bureaucratic Department of Public Safety, pledged to hire a net gain of 150 police officers, increased Crime Prevention funding by 25 percent, and began returning the city to the neighborhood-based “beat policing” model that was abandoned in 2013 after a hiring freeze saw IMPD lose roughly 10 percent of its operational force.
