Local anti-violence group hosts BBQ event to make connections, curb violence

INDIANAPOLIS — The city is ramping up its efforts to curb violence as we head into the summer months.

The Indy Peacemakers were out across the city Friday night looking to help spread awareness and make connections in an effort to prevent crime.

The Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety’s Peacemakers hosted a community BBQ Friday night at Hawthorne Place apartments on the city’s east side.

“We’re trying to establish a connection with our communities and what makes Indy peace so unique is individuals that look like the residents in the communities are also out here providing resources, establishing connections and also just making simple connections to the families,” said Josiah Johnson with OPHS.

It’s one of many grassroots events planned this summer for more than 60 peacemakers.

“We go out into the communities that are hardest hit with gun violence, or high risk of gun violence and we try to connect the community with resources to help decrease the likelihood of them engaging in criminal activity,” said Indy Peacemaker Lorie Bohannon.

The city’s peacemakers started back in 2022 as part of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s violence prevention plan.

The group focuses on solutions-based problem solving and providing resources to real-world issues that contribute to crime.

“Recently, out here in this community where we are at Hawthorne Apartments, we’ve had a lot of domestic violence, we’ve had a lot of gun-related crimes. Just overall the residents’ complaints regarding their living conditions and things of that nature,” said Bohannon.

The peacemakers also stopped by the MLK Center’s block party Friday night too.

All efforts to get to know the community, in hopes when people need it most, they have another familiar face to turn to.

“We’re just chilling out in the community with the residents so they can know who we are and they can learn what we do,” said Bohannon. “It establishes trust, transparency and also it relaxes barriers that were previously there.”

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