KOKOMO, Ind. -- A group of people in Kokomo are working to reclaim some of the city's most drug-ridden neighborhood.
A sign that was posted on the window of a Kokomo gas station on Monday was visual proof of the drug problem facing the area.
The hand-written message didn’t last 24 hours on the window of Village Pantry at the corner of Wabash and West Jefferson, but its message was clear: “Stop your drug deals in our parking lot,” it read. “We are turning in videos to the police daily.”
The sign was written by one of the store’s employees.
Christ Wendt, co-founder of the group Peace Watch said the parking lot at that gas station has become a drug dealing central in their community.
“This VP has been here for quite a while, and ever since it sprouted up, it’s been a center of trouble for us,” said Wendt.
Wendt is part of a group of over 40 citizens who are working to promote peace in the city of Kokomo. He said Peace Watch is all about safety and getting to know your neighbors.
The group was started last year after a 17-year-old was shot and killed during a drug deal near that intersection. Since that October day, Peace Watch has been patrolling the neighborhood and urging businesses to take a stand and help them take back their community.
“What it was for us was them effectively admitting that there is a problem,” said Wendt. "Up until that point, it was just us recognizing it and fighting the lack of recognition on their part. The sign was effectively them saying yea, we see this is going on, and we're fighting it too."
