New group to manage Crime Prevention

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Crime Prevention money is becoming a hot topic after the Indianapolis Parks Foundation recently decided to no longer oversee the grant.

“It simply did not fit our mission any more,” said Lori Hazlett, Interim Parks Foundation president.

Indianapolis City-County Council will now select a new group to help select and distribute the funds. United Way and Central Indiana Community Foundation are two groups that are being vetted to see if they can effectively select and administer the funding.

An appointed seven-member board works with the Parks Foundation to make the selection process on which groups get a share of the $1.8 million and how much. Those awarded the money must follow strict guidelines including program participation, size and scope of the programs, and where every dollar is spent.

Indy’s Crime Prevention Grant Program awarded 18 groups $1.8 million in 2012. The monies are strategically placed with groups that have concrete solutions to keep people out of prison cells.

Currently, the council is not considering public safety department as an option. 

Ten Point Coalition and other faith-based leaders pushed for the grant monies to be given to the public safety department. The group believes the public safety department can better use the funding to curb gun violence.

The group believes the Public Safety Department can better use the funding to curb gun violence. Currently, council is not considering the Public Safety Department as an option. 

Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic is one of the recent recipients of the crime prevention dollars. The clinic received $98,000 from the grant. Lawyers for the group help recently released inmates navigate through any legal paperwork that awaits them.

"We will help them with their child support issues, and clear their criminal history so they can get employment," said Joshua Able Director of Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.

The group is hopeful their grant is continued next year so it can continue to help nearly 1,000 inmates.