Indy Ten Point Coalition working with IUPUI on research to measure impact of group
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition is working with IUPUI on a research project. Researchers are trying to understand the impact of Ten Point in troubled neighborhoods and youth violence.
The partnership between Indy Ten Point Coalition and IUPUI began last fall. The faith based group reached out looking for an academic approach to measure their work.
“We really want to take a look at, okay what are we doing well, what are we not doing well, and what could we use (to) maybe model this initiative all over the city of Indianapolis and in cities across Indiana,” said Reverend Charles Harrison, Indy Ten Point Coalition.
The research is still in the early stages and won’t be completed until next year. Researchers have been gathering information from Indy Ten Point Coalition.
The group handed over six years worth of data Tuesday, including journal entries from outreach workers on street patrols.
“Very detailed information about what each street outreach did. When they were out on the street, how many contacts they made, information about what may have happened and occurred at a shooting homicide scene,” said Rev. Harrison.
You often see members of the Indy Ten Point Coalition in neighborhoods, comforting loved ones at crime scenes, easing the tension among groups, and talking to residents about violence.
Reverend Harrison believes those efforts have been paying off. He said their success can be seen in neighborhoods like Butler-Tarkington, Crown Hill, and the United Northwest Area. He said the three neighborhoods have gone at least seven months without any homicides.
“What happens in one of those neighborhoods since they’re right next to each other tends to affect the other neighborhood, so we’re seeing a positive effect,” said Rev. Harrison.
But how do you measure the impact of success and engagement? Reverend Harrison said researchers at IUPUI are looking for ways.
“Some of the challenges that we have is, how do you measure for instance when we’re on the streets and someone is about to commit a crime or a murder and we get them not to do that,” said Rev. Harrison. “How do you measure that through, you know our interaction and engagement?”
Researchers in the sociology department will go over journal entries from outreach workers as part of their study, talking to residents, among other things.
“We really want to learn, we really want to take our organization to the next level,” said Rev. Harrison. “We’re excited someone’s crunching the numbers and telling the story.”
Once the study is completed, the results will be published.