Indy Ten Point leader hopes Pence shares group’s mission across America

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In July, Indy Ten Point Coalition members had a special guest, Governor Mike Pence, walk with them through a neighborhood where they’ve seen a decrease in violence.

“We wanted him to really see those root causes, talk to the residents,” Indy Ten Point Coalition leader, Reverend Charles Harrison said.

“We were trying to make the pitch that the Ten Point youth violence reduction model would be good statewide, not just in the three neighborhoods we were in in Indianapolis,” he said.

While Reverend Charles Harrison’s sights were set on a state-wide program, he would find out just a week later that the scope could grow dramatically.

Pence joined Trump’s ticket and, soon after, started spreading their message.

“He did an interview months ago with CNN and he mentioned his walk with Ten Point when he was talking about the issue of particularly urban gun violence,” he said.

Harrison said he originally took some heat for having Pence on that walk.

“There were people who felt like that was a publicity stunt by the governor,” he said.

But now that Pence will be vice president, Harrison hopes the time he spent with Ten Point in Indy will pay off for other cities in other states.

“I personally did not vote for President-Elect Trump, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot work with him,” he said, “And I think that’s what people want to see, to put our differences aside and find common ground.”

Reverend Harrison plans to reach back out to Governor Pence again this year before he heads to Washington D.C.