Butler-Tarkington celebrates 300 days without a homicide
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Residents of an Indianapolis neighborhood have taken safety into their own hands and they feel it’s working.
The Butler-Tarkington neighborhood has gone 300 days without a homicide.
Residents said they not only feel safer in their neighborhood, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Tuesday night’s march celebrated an encouraging progress report for the historically violent area.
Reverend Charles Harrison of the Indy Ten Point Coalition remembers the last homicide in Butler-Tarkington, October 13th, 2015.
“We talked that day that we were going to get started working the next day, which was October 14, and we got started October 14 last year and we haven’t had a homicide since then,” Rev. Harrison said.
He believes it took members of this community coming together to stop the violence.
“It really shows what a neighborhood can do when a neighborhood partners with police and they stand together to fight back against crime,” Rev. Harrison said.
He’s proud of the reason for Tuesday night’s gathering of police, Ten Point members, and residents: that the area has gone 300 days without a homicide.
“I’m still shocked and surprised that we’ve been able to do this in this neighborhood that has seen so much violence in the past,” Rev. Harrison said.
Resident Stanley Bibbs already sees a difference in the area he’s called home for 30 years.
“People who are out running, people who are out with their strollers,” Bibbs said.
He feels a shift to community policing has made a difference.
“I think that the police department’s efforts to engage with the community, to hear their concerns, to become more of a partner is important,” Bibbs said.
“It certainly is encouraging,” Rev. Harrison said.
Reverend Harrison wants to share the message of hope, that this type of anti-violence movement doesn’t have to be isolated.
“Neighborhoods can fight back against the violence, they really can,” he said.
The Crown Hill neighborhood is very close to Butler-Tarkington and has gone more than 260 days without a homicide.
Harrison also thanks local businesses who hire ex-offenders for helping curb violence.
He believes getting youth involved in activities and jobs keeps them out of trouble and is another strategy for decreasing violence.