INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police officers are asking people to help with a program to cut down on violence.

The “OK Program” typically brings black police officers and black students together. However, the IMPD officers running it said it has grown so much they want any black man with a success story to sign up and help mentor.

Students can get involved in the OK Program as early as middle school. They meet with mentors at what they call “Kick it” sessions.

At those sessions, they discuss real-life challenges they are facing in their neighborhoods and homes.

The mentors also set up learning and study sessions to help the students do better in school and improve grade point averages.

IMPD officers who coordinate the program said simply letting the boys know there is hope goes a long way.

“I was actually one of these boys, I grew up in the streets and when I was growing up. my mother was a drug dealer and my father was a drug addict. So there were many things that I had to overcome to get to where I am now and those are the same things that I talk to the boys about. If I can overcome them, so can they,” said Officer Antwon Keyes.

“I have taken them back to my area where I grew up and talked about a lot of situations that I dealt with and now that they know Officer Harris knows about it, that’s what the kids say “Officer Harris knows about it,” they’re more in-tuned to talk to me about daily things that they’re going through,” said Officer Deon Harris.

They are hosting a recruiting and training session Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the JTV Hill Center at 1806 Columbia Avenue.

You can find more information here.