5K Run To Support Summer Jobs For Teens

Indianapolis Police Chief Rick Hite is looking for answers on how to reduce violence and crime and keeping young people from falling into that lifestyle.

So, he reached back to his youth to come up with what he thinks is a solution.

"I can remember as a young man being employed in a summer youth program and that provide me opportunities to socialize.  It taught me discipline. It gave me an understanding of civility and understanding how important that is to living in our society in a way that we are tolerant of each other," he said.  "It provided me with a few dollars in my pocket so I didn't have to go out there and do anything wrong to make a living for myself."

Hite’s experience working as a teenager inspired him to create an event to help connect more Indianapolis youth with jobs.

He and Department of Public Safety Director Troy Riggs worked to set up a 5K run to raise money to pay teens to work with various service providers in the city.

Hite believes employing young people will help steer them away from street life.

"What we are seeing is young people who find themselves in harm's way," he said.  "We just felt like the first job, the first opportunity for employment, should not be a pharmaceutical business on the corner."

Riggs says the run is a way to bring the city together and send a message that violence and crime, especially from the youth, will no longer be tolerated.

"Fighting crime and public safety is everyone's responsibility," he said.  "We are asking people to do what we said in the first community conversation, roll up your sleeves, get involved in your community, put some work into it.  Also, put some money into organizations that are supporting summer jobs programs and a variety of other services in this community."

DPS has already raised $21,500 to pay for kids to work with service providers.   Riggs says that will help employ between 200 and 300 teens, making between $500 and $800 for the summer. But, the more raised, the more teens that are put to work. 

Donations will be accepted at the 5K and all will go to the Public Safety Foundation.

Chair Melissa Proffitt-Reese says when the city is battling issues like idleness and gangs, it makes sense to invest in teens.

"These kinds of initiative keep these kids off the street.  They allow them to be around adults who could potentially serve as really serious role models for these young kids," she said.  "It allows them to develop self-esteem about themselves, feel good about themselves.  They are doing work. They have the satisfaction of doing work and then being paid for it."

Several organizations have already made contributions for the summer work initiative, including the Indiana Black Expo.

President Tanya Bell, who grew up in a single parent household, says she is an example of the benefits of working as a teenager and believes the effort will have similar returns on a new generation.

"It provided me with access to role models and mentors and it also provided me with the experience and skills that were needed," said Bell.  "I truly believe that that summer job that I had really created a foundation for me to overcome a lot of barriers I had growing up and to overcome poverty."

The 5K is June 7 at 9 a.m. in front of the City County Building.

The Department of Public Safety says some of the summer jobs programs provide transportation and conversations are ongoing on making sure teens can get to jobs that don’t.

Riggs hopes the run and summer work program becomes an annual event.