Equity is at the forefront of a new crime prevention grant program in Indianapolis and the first round of grants is now open to nonprofit organizations.
Indianapolis dealt with record levels of violent crime last year. In response, the City-County Council created a program to fund violence reduction efforts based on district need. SAVI, the community information system at IUPUI’s Polis Center, helped map out a data-based violent crime index and districts with higher scores get more money to distribute.
In a written statement Chair of the Council’s Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee Leroy Robinson said crime and violence don’t affect neighborhoods equally. “But our past efforts to prevent violence and criminal activity have not always reflected that reality,” Robinson said.
The program aims to reach smaller, grassroots organizations that tackle crime reduction efforts directly or indirectly. Council members have identified areas they would like to focus on including affordable housing, youth employment and domestic violence.
The Council District Crime Prevention Grants are administered with help from the Central Indiana Community Foundation. This is the first of two rounds of funding and grants will range from $500 to $40,000.
