Indianapolis, Indiana – On June 1, Indianapolis will host the debut of the #IChoosePeace initiative, a new initiative to reduce gun violence.
On Wednesday, the day before National Gun Violence Awareness Month, Mayor Joe Hogsett and representatives from the Office of Public Health and Safety and the Indy Public Safety Foundation jointly introduced the campaign.
The initial pledges were urged to be made by peacekeepers from the Indy Public Safety Foundation both in person and online by posting with that hashtag when they were there for the launch.
“When we choose peace, we are choosing to chip away at the challenges of gun violence and inspire each other to be the best versions of ourselves. We are choosing to bring peace to everyone,” said Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety member, Martine Romy Bernard-Tucker.
After police reported finding at least 40 shot casings following a shooting on Tuesday night, the city decided to put an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department mobile trailer camera at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Hogsett claims that he views this as a historically significant investment in the safety plan for the neighborhood. However, Hogsett noted that maintaining unity and communicating with one another in order to advance our shared objectives may be the most crucial method for our community to assist.
After the second stage of the gun violence reduction strategy, which included hiring three attorneys to pursue gun crimes at the federal level, raising IMPD’s salary, and giving $15 million to grassroots organizations, this campaign was launched.
“At every step of the way, a foundational piece of that strategy has been you, the people in this room,” Hogsett said to those present at the announcement.
Both on stage and in the audience, several people discussed why they are engaged in this activity.
A member of the Indy Peace Fellowship Outreach team named Della Brown claims to have an 8-year-old daughter and desires to set the “best example” possible for her.
“If one person from one household chooses peace then I believe they will be able to influence the others in their house if not their friends or their family members that they’re connected to and have influence over and it will just be a domino effect of us all raising our hands to choose peace,” Brown said.
This campaign aims to inform and connect people to resources, such as the Indy Public Safety Foundation’s mentorship program for adults and the Summer in the City Program for young people.
