INDIANAPOLIS — Record-breaking violence continues to climb in Indianapolis.
So far this year, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has investigated 297 non-fatal shootings, and 26 of them involved a victim under 18.
“Violence goes deeper than just love. It goes to the place of unhealed hurts, and the trauma that has never been addressed,” said Beatrice Beverly, the program manager for Stop the Violence Indianapolis, Inc.
This week, Stop the Violence Indianapolis, Inc. kicked off camp for young girls called “The Talks: Identifying the Mirror in Me.”
“I have low self-esteem, and I want to help other people realize they are beautiful and find my mirror inside of me,” 15-year-old Nesean Green said.
The camp focuses on self-love and self-esteem, which are two very different things according to Beverly.
“People think that self-esteem starts with somebody else, it starts with that inner-person, and it starts with you. So they need to love themselves so they can love their neighbor,” Beverly explained.
Beverly thinks children need their hearts healed to know what love is, and when they do, the violence may stop.
“I don’t believe anybody grows up in violence. They grow up in an environment in which they live,” Beverly said.
Green has seen violence growing up on the east side of the city.
“No one should be scared to step foot out of their house and feel like they’re going to get killed or shot at by police officers, people that don’t like you, or people who don’t like them,” Green said.
Since the beginning of the year to July 21, IMPD has investigated 297 non-fatal shootings involving 326 victims.
Beverly thinks politicians and city leaders who claim to care about the violence need to start listening to the youth and come into neighborhoods more.
“Come, we normal. We all want the same things. We want to bless our families and wake up safe. That’s what we want,” Beverly said.
If you’re interested in seeing what other programs or camps Stop the Violence Indianapolis, Inc. offer, click here.
