Organization fighting gang violence by giving young men hands-on skills
Source: fox59.com (click to view video)
Stop the Violence Indianapolis, a local nonprofit, is trying to help area police combat the ongoing violence and gang activity in the city with a new training program.
The organization is working with young men who have had violent pasts by giving them skills that are intended to give them a fresh start by making them more attractive potential employees.
“Anthony in there, at nine and 10 years old, was hustling in the streets, that early,” said Anthony Beverly, the founder of Stop the Violence Indianapolis.
Beverly took Fox59 through a former daycare center where the nonprofit is building its headquarters. The men, who they are serving, are renovating it with the help of an area contractor as part of an important training course.
“I got a second chance at life so I knew I had to take advantage of it,” said Antwan Davidson, a training program participant.
Davidson said a fresh start had once seemed impossible.
“I saw it happening, and I was doing it. I always believed that’s how it was supposed to be,” said Anthony Smith, another training program participant.
The donated building is now the backdrop for the program that could help police in Indianapolis with their work. Year to date, the IMPD Criminal Gang Unit has made 304 arrests for crimes ranging from attempted murder to simple battery.
“Gangs in Indianapolis and Marion County are a problem. A majority of our gang members are juveniles, some as young as 11 years old,” said IMPD Lt. Christopher Bailey with the Criminal Gang Unit.
“Gangs in Indianapolis are not the ‘bloods’ and ‘crips’ we see dramatized in the media. Our gangs are loosely affiliated groups who identify themselves with a certain area of town or with an ‘entertainment’ group.
“There is very little organization and a lack of an identifiable leadership hierarchy. However, this does not mean they are not dangerous and violent. They are involved in all types of crimes and they affect all of Marion County, not just the inner-city.
“We cannot arrest ourselves out of this problem, we must to save as many kids as we can from the gangster life by offering them and their parents assistance.”
The IMPD Gang Unit works very closely with the Community Affairs Branch to identify and help juveniles who are the most vulnerable to the gang life. They also work with several area nonprofits like Stop the Violence Indianapolis.
“We all need someone walking along beside us, and that’s what we try to do with these guys,” said Beverly.
Beverly said the men cannot just be told to do better and be better. They need real skills to start over. The men are also earning a stipend thanks to a donations for their renovation work.
“On most jobs, employees won’t have time to do a lot of training. They want them to have a general understanding of what they want to achieve,” said Dan Gushee, an independent contractor and volunteer who helps mentor the men.
“We need to really take a deep look at how we’re helping versus handicapping, giving handouts is not it. We need to draw out of these guys what’s inside, their God-given talents,” Beverly said.
“You just got to grow up one day, and I was blessed with a couple of people that would help me start growing up,” said Smith.
Stop the Violence Indianapolis mostly operates on the east side and far east side.