INDIANAPOLIS — The Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) reports 685 youth have been served by Safe Summer programming since July 5th. Safe Summer funds safe and productive alternatives to crime and violence for young people at Indy Parks and community partners. The initiative also includes targeted neighborhood walks on Saturday nights in areas like Castleton and Downtown with increased youth activity.
The Safe Summer initiative is an expansion of Safe Saturdays, first announced by Mayor Joe Hogsett in June. Safe Summer is part of the City’s summer violence prevention efforts which also include increased operational capabilities for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), enhancements to IMPD’s Community Engagement Unit, and the hiring of two new Peacemakers focused on juveniles. All programming as part of Safe Summer is free to participants and comes at no additional cost to taxpayers thanks to a donation from the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), facilitated by the Indy Public Safety Foundation.
Activities have included:
• Safe Summer conversation with IMPD Northwest District Commander Lorenzo Lewis at the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA.
• “Trap & Paint” at VOICES
• Open mic night at Frederick Douglass Park
• Boxing lessons at America’s Top Team
• Community clean-up in Brightwood led by ML & Trip Mentoring and B4UFall
• Movie nights at ML & Trip Mentoring and Windsor Village Park
• Open swim at multiple Indy Parks
Safe Summer continues on Friday nights and Saturdays through August 10. For more information visit OPHS.indy.gov.
