INDIANAPOLIS — It has officially been more than a month since the city of Indianapolis hired a Chief Violence Prevention Officer.
More than halfway through the year, the number of criminal homicides is down so far. Youth homicides remain on the rise, however. That is one of the reasons the city’s new Chief Violence Prevention Officer said his job is so critical.
“I believe this issue is not just an individual issue, it’s a community issue which requires a community solution,” Ralph Durrett Jr. said.
Durrett took on the new position back in June. He said he has spent the month mostly gathering information and engaging with local organizations on a weekly, if not daily basis.
“It’s really about being visible and being intentional with that visibility and being present,” he said. “Ultimately that’s going to show that there are people that work for the city of Indianapolis that really care about this particular issue and do want to do something about it.”
It is that very visibility that local youth group leaders like Brandon Randall said is so important.
“We cannot continue to operate on, you know, thinking that funding alone is the gesture of support,” he said.
Randall’s group, Tru Colors Consulting, is one of several local organizations Durrett recently visited. Randall said those conversations went a long way, especially with the young people involved in his program.
“It gave the young people a sense of, not confidence, but like, ‘Okay, there are adults in this city who do care about what we’re talking about,'” he described.
The city’s new Chief Violence Prevention Officer also recently met with Let Them Talk, which is another group focused on supporting Indy’s youth.
“I think Ralph is doing an amazing job picking folks’ brains,” Let Them Talk Co-founder Anthony Battle said. “Picking our brains, seeing what we have been doing and seeing what has been working. My hope is those conversations will continue.”
“I think that he is a good bridge builder for working to eliminate some of those silos that do exist, some of those challenges that have existed, you know, for several years,” Co-founder Heather Savage added.
Durrett said he plans to keep engaging with community groups to learn more about their needs. He said his next task is to find ways to deliver on those needs and provide the necessary resources.
Marion County Public Health Director Dr. Virginia Caine has previously expressed support in declaring a youth gun violence public health emergency. FOX59/CBS4 also asked Durrett if he would support that idea.
“Wholeheartedly, because once it becomes a public health emergency, it becomes a community issue and not just a political issue that people are arguing about and using as talking points,” he said. “It becomes a real issue where regardless of what sector of society you’re in you’re going to be able to want to directly impact it in the best way that you can in your sector of society. I would wholeheartedly support that.”
Durrett said he thinks declaring youth gun violence a public health emergency would help draw more attention and resources to the issue.
