Crime Prevention Association of Michigan

Program, Practice, & Policy Brief      Issue 9  April 2000

Presented by the CRIME PREVENTION COALITION OF AMERICA

The Front Porch Alliance  ''The 'front porch' is the meeting place on every block, the ideal location for child recreation and supervision, and the ultimate outpost for crime  detection and prevention."   Stephen Goldsmith Former Mayor of Indianapolis

 Background

In 1997, Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith launched the Front Porch Alliance to support and strengthen traditional institutions like churches, neighborhood associations, and community organizations. The Front Porch Alliance is a cooperative partnership between the city, faith institutions, neighborhoods, and community members to address local problems. The Front Porch Alliance has forged over 800 partnerships with more than 400 religious and community organizations. The Alliance supports organizations that help families, provide activities for children, and promote community renewal.

Defining the Roles of the Community and Government

One of the initial tasks of the Front Porch Alliance was to define the roles of the   community and local government and determine ways in which they could better collaborate. The Front Porch Alliance recognizes that churches and other institutions are vital to the health of the city and are doing the important work necessary for community renewal. Although the city government is an important partner, the Front Porch Alliance operates with the understanding that local organizations and the value they bring to the community are of primary importance. The Alliance also encourages local government leaders and public officials to actively support the work of churches, neighborhood associations, and charitable organizations.

''The 'front porch' is the meeting place on every block, the ideal location for child recreation and supervision, and the ultimate outpost for crime detection and prevention." Stephen Goldsmith  Former Mayor of Indianapolis

The Front Porch Alliance: What It Does

The Front Porch Alliance aims to revitalize Indianapolis neighborhoods by empowering community groups and churches. As a coalition of community leaders, the Alliance connects existing organizations with each other and makes public and private resources available to support their causes. The Alliance does not create new programs, organizations, or initiatives; rather it brings together those who can make a difference. The Alliance targets eight Indianapolis neighborhoods and works with organizations in those areas that promote community renewal, support families, and provide activities for children. Former Mayor Goldsmith wrote in the Indianapolis Star: "Ultimately, addressing these problems requires changing people's lives-something better accomplished by a concerned neighbor than a government program."

The Community Outreach Team is an essential part of the Front Porch Alliance. The Team consists of community leaders commissioned by the Mayor to explore issues relating to community renewal. The Team meets with local pastors, neighborhood leaders, and residents to learn more about community programs and help match them with private and public resources. The team is important to the Front Porch Alliance, as it gives local government a better understanding of issues facing the communities, connects communities with valuable resources, and makes residents feel more connected with their communities and their government. The Community Outreach team holds roundtables year-round that focus on local issues and raise awareness of those issues among residents and local leaders.

The Matt Faber Peace Garden

In 1997, Shepherd Community Ministries asked the Mayor to help their church turn a dangerous alley into a park. Instead of setting up a government-sponsored initiative, the Front Porch Alliance empowered the church and the surrounding community to make the changes. The Mayor closed the alley, obtained the support of local businesses to provide funding, and brought together community organizations to get the job done. The new park was named the Matt Faber Peace Garden, in honor of an Indianapolis police officer who died in the line of duty. Since construction of the park began, crime rates in the surrounding area have dropped dramatically robbery by 40 percent, rape by 58 percent, and homicide by 71 percent. Crime within the park has completely disappeared. Now Shepherd Community Ministries maintains the new park, which is a valuable resource to the community.

The Front Porch Alliance brings together organizations to do meaningful work in Indianapolis to support children and families. Many congregations have begun youth employment programs, after school programs, mentoring initiatives, and community service activities.

Crime prevention and reduction is also a major community priority. To improve safety, organizations have formed block clubs that link neighbors together and police officers and have invited police officers to classrooms, day care centers, and youth programs.

West Side Cooperative Organization

A group of concerned citizens started the West Side Cooperative Organization to bring renewal to their community through reducing crime, improving education, eliminating drug use, and attracting businesses. Community leaders from WESCO established a community center, Christamore House, with the help of local churches and residents. Christamore now houses youth and senior programs, counseling, tutoring, sports, meals, and social programs. Clergy and residents patrol the streets to prevent crime. The results have been astounding. Over 20 small businesses have moved to the West Side, and over 200 homes have been built or refurbished. Crime rates have plummeted since WESCO was started-homicides alone are down by 70 percent. And 700 new jobs have been created in the area.

Activities for Youth

Congregations and neighborhood organizations have made great strides in Indianapolis to provide activities and support to young people. The Slack Firefighter's Association worked with the Front Porch Alliance to renovate an old fire station and establish a computer repair center for youth with donated computers. Shepherd Community Center has partnered with five congregations to help lids leave the streets. Other churches and groups have started distributing trading cards of local officers to improve relationships between youth and law enforcement.

JIREH Sports Complex

The JIREH Sports Complex is the product of a successful partnership among urban and suburban churches, community organizations, and local government. The Front Porch Alliance's Community Outreach Teams found that after school activities were greatly needed as youth are most likely to get into trouble between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Complex was created to provide supervision and guidance to area children during that time. At the JIREH Sports Complex, youth can participate in gymnastics, wrestling and indoor rock climbing. There are three rooms for tutoring, and the JIREH Complex aims to provide youth with positive role models. "This type of suburban-urban church partnership is a shining example of how congregations can work together to improve our local communities," said Goldsmith at JIREH's opening ceremonies in February 1999. "This magnificent remodeled facility is proof that extraordinary things happen when people work together with common goals and a common purpose."

Results

The efforts of the Front Porch Alliance and the hundreds of organizations and churches with which it has partnered have helped prompt a significant decrease in crime in the eight targeted neighborhoods. The Front Porch Alliance reports that since 1996, the overall crime rate of Indianapolis has dropped by 10 percent. Thanks to the efforts of WESCO, homicides are down by 70 percent in the West Side. In downtown Indianapolis, the efforts of the Old National Road Business Association have helped reduce crime by 10.5 percent. The effective partnerships created through the Front Porch Alliance were recognized in 1998 when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the John J. Gunther Blue Ribbon Award to the Front Porch Alliance.

Next Steps

Newly-elected Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson, who began his term in January of this year, is also committed to the principals of the Front Porch Alliance. Under his administration, the Alliance will continue under the Department of Metropolitan Development. The commitment to the purpose of the Front Porch Alliance of both Republican and Democratic mayors fuels the credibility of this useful partnership.