Indy Awarded $5 Million Crime-Fighting Grant

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis will be getting some federal help to fight crime after one of the city's most violent summers.

Mayor Greg Ballard announced Monday the city had received a $5 million grant to help fund community-based anticrime programs, 6News' Derrik Thomas reported.

Funding areas will cover a wide spectrum of topics, from employment to offender re-entry, health, mentoring and neighborhoods, Ballard said.

A board will make a recommendation to the mayor on what programs should receive a grant. Individual organizations are eligible for a maximum of $300,000 each.

"We have great organizations who are doing great work, and there are others we don't know about that are doing great work that will have to do greater work," said Deputy Mayor of Neighborhoods Olgen Williams. "We know we can't lock everybody up, but we can prevent crime with proper resources and proper strategies."

The Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek is one of the programs already readying its proposal for the federal funds.

"Nowadays you don't see positive things going on about the youth. You see all negative. With the grant, you can get more money and more kids doing positive things," said center counselor David Barlow.

Programs that are interested in applying for a grant will have an orientation session on Aug. 18. The deadline for applications is Sept. 18. Interested organizations are asked to visit the city's Web site.