INDIANAPOLIS — In the summer of 2022, when violence and murders were peaking in Indianapolis, researchers convened innovative forums to survey 77 residents and providers for suggestions on how to bring peace to the city. The “Big Idea” study has been released with the 162 suggestions that e merged from the forums, many of them well known but with an underlying theme seeking leadership and better sharing of information and resources. ”There are resources available but the people aren’t getting to them, the dissemination of that information is not there,” said Dr. Damaris Ortiz, a study author from the IU School of Medicine. ”They really wanted more resources for children and youth in the community in order to stop this often generational cycle of violence that happens.” The study, published by the Regenstrief Institute, found respondents called for more resources to be dedicated to continuing education as a result of school expulsions, limiting the promotion of alcohol, supporting employment and job training, promoting responsible fatherhood, advocating for child trauma treatment and altering policies related to affordable housing. ”We learned that gun violence and community violence is a public health issue,” said Dr. Ortiz. ”We need to focus on policy making and that policy-making should be revolving around limiting gun access or gun safety.” The results of the study show that there is a schism between what the community says it needs and what leaders and policymakers are providing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently discontinued its web page devoted to treating gun violence as a public health issue and deleted previous Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s declaration of such. ” It's not divisive, it's just a fact that we have a very high rate of not just firearm violence but community violence in this country,” said Dr. Ortiz. “I’m a trauma surgeon. I see it all the time.” The Indiana General Assembly’s elimination of a state gun permit coincided with a downturn in 2024 of non-fatal shootings and firearms homicides in Indianapolis. ”We know that gun possession by young people is a crisis and access to weapons is still a crisis,” said Brandon Randall of Tru Colors, a non-profit which works with teens, “so I think that we have to be very very proactive and not just responsive or reactive so I think that this has to be something that is at the forefront of a conversation, especially with the organizations like OPHS and the health department because those two entities really should be the crime collaborators on maintaining the focus and intentionality in addressing this issue.” Mayor Joe Hogsett has just named a new director of the Office of Public Health and Safety and a new deputy mayor to oversee the Office, though neither has been confirmed by the City-County Council and was therefore not made available for comment on the study or the administration’s plans. Marion County Public Health Director Dr. Viriginia Caine announced last year that she had secured $2 million to fund a youth anti-violence campaign that has yet to come to fruition and was not available for comment. Randall said programs such as his can’t wait for additional funding or leadership to carry out their anti-violence programs. ”We tell the young people to put the gun down, but we’re not telling them how to replace it with something healthier or we’re not even building authentic connections for them to invest in our wisdom. We simply think because we’re adults that they’re gonna listen to us in the meantime,” said Randall. ”There are some laws on the books that say if a student has been arrested in the community that a school can expel them if nothing happened inside of that school. The problem with that is then it's creating this instant pathway the school-to-prison pipeline and there’s no alternatives being offered. ”There’s a lot of youth organizations, there’s a lot of young people who are focusing on these issues, especially around gun violence and violence prevention, but we really need local leaders and elected leaders to equitably collaborate. ”We need people in leadership roles to step up and do that.” For more information on the study, click here. ...read more read less