INDIANAPOLIS — During the 30th Annual National Night Out Against Crime Kick-Off at Martin University on Aug. 6, Mayor Ballard, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry, Director of Public Safety Troy Riggs, Chief Richard Hite, and the IMPD Command Staff honored several community members as Crime Fighters of the Year.
Ms. Renee Lynch was named the IMPD East District’s 2013 Crime fighter of the Year. Renee has spent countless hours engaging people in the Brookside area, including watching to ensure kids walking to and from School 54 are safe during school hours. Renee has boarded and re-boarded more than 24 vacant properties in the Brookside area and at times, using her own money. She has also been known to cut the high grass at vacant properties. Here are some of the other things she does to improve her neighborhood, including organizing neighborhood cleanups, working with government agencies to improve quality of life, and much more. She is the President of Brookside Neighborhood Association
Mr. Aaron York is the IMPD Southeast District Crime Fighter of the Year. Mr. York is a man of extraordinary faith, fortitude, intelligence, ingenuity, compassion and kindness. His support, generosity and good extend far beyond the police department to include; various neighborhood groups, community organizations, businesses, schools and so many others. And at nearly 80 years young, his energy, enthusiasm, and “Can Do” attitude puts many men half his age to shame.
The 2013 Downtown District Crime Fighter of the year is Ms. Valencia Hightower. Ms. Hightower is the Community Manager of the John Barton Apartments, an Indianapolis Housing Agency development located at 555 Massachusetts Ave. In the past three years as the manager of the 21-story high rise (and the manager of the adjoining 8-story Barton Annex), Ms. Hightower has turned what was once one of the Downtown District’s high call volume locations into a safe community for her tenants, visitors and public safety.
The IMPD’s North District named Ms. Clara Warner for the “Crime Fighter of the Year” award. Clara has been an active community participant for decades in Mapleton/Fall Creek. Her service to community began after attending a neighborhood leadership training class that inspired her to become involved. She soon became the vice president of her neighborhood association and later then was named as the president.
In addition, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry presented the Community Resurrection Partnership (CRP) with the 2013 Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Fighter of the Year Award. Established in 1996, CRP is a community action group focusing on the Near Eastside and Martindale-Brightwood community. Through its Healing Communities project, CRP has supported individuals released from incarceration thereby reducing crime recidivism. CRP, as part of its Faith Walks initiative, has also worked with IMPD to identify areas within the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood that have the highest concentration or risk of violence.