Indy TenPoint Coalition Reaching out to Younger Kids to Prevent Crime
INDIANAPOLIS — Indy’s children are young to drink, to drive, or to vote, but not too young to be recruited into crime.
Some crime fighting groups, including the Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition, are changing tactics after seeing suspects in crimes getting younger and younger. One of the approaches means reaching out to a younger age group.
Two gun crimes in the last two weeks have involved 14-year-old boys.
A 14-year-old boy is accused of shooting and killing a customer during a robbery Dec. 11 at a Dollar General sotry in Cumberland.
On Dec. 15, a 14-year-old boy engaged Richmond police in a shootout at Dennis Intermediate School before shooting and killing himself.
According to Rev. Charles Harrison, president of Indy TenPoint, children as young as 10 are being recruited to commit crimes.
His group addresses criminal activity in age groups 10 – 24.
Recently, Harrison dropped the age from 12 to 10. The uniform crime reporting numbers points out there has been an increase in arrests in kids between the ages of 10 and 17.
“We are seeing kids that young with handguns; we’ve got to get to them. They are being recruited at a younger age,” said Harrison.
“We lowered the age because we are seeing them recruit preteens and adolescents. By drug dealer and neighborhood clicks and recruiting as 10 years old. There is easy access to unlawful guns. Young people — 10, 11, 12 and 15 years old — possessing guns and they are using these guns to settle conflict,” Harrison said.
(PHOTO: WISH TV)
