INDIANAPOLIS — At first glance, it may seem like a group of teens and adults playing basketball at Riverside Park.
But ask one of the adults there, Devanta Scruggs, and he’ll tell you what you’re looking at is so much more than just a game of basketball.
“We’re trying to create an opportunity for our young people to be young people,” Scruggs explained.
It’s all part of the city’s Safe Summer program, giving kids in Indianapolis a place to go and something to do on Friday and Saturday nights.
This is the third year in a row for the program held at Riverside, Garfield, Washington, and Brookside parks, all in different parts of the city.
“We want to create an opportunity for our young people to come into this place and be safe,” Scruggs said, explaining the need is there, with teens in the city not immune to violence.
“We’re tired of seeing our young people on the obituaries. We’re tired of seeing their faces run across the TV screen of another young man, young woman, who’s been arrested, who’s now died,” he said.
Just last weekend, police arrested a 16 year old downtown with a stolen handgun, after a group of teens were spotted walking on the canal openly carrying guns.
“Nowadays, the things that I’ve seen, kids getting guns. They are killing each other, where when my kids were growing up, if you had a dispute with somebody, you’d fight it out with your fists, versus a gun or a knife. It’s a lot different,” said Dorothy Brady.
That’s why Brady is glad to have a place to bring her 12-year-old grandson, Chasen, on a Friday night.
“It is so much going on in the streets, all of the senseless gun violence that I would rather bring him here with a mentor group because it’s very positive, very safe,” said Brady.
“It’s cool. I like it. They do good with us. We box. We play sports. They feed us and we just do us,” said Chasen.
Safe Summer runs through early August.
Scruggs, a mentor for Safe Summer, said it’s more than just a program, though, it’s a chance to help the younger generation, inviting parents and guardians to take part.
“Bring your kids. We want to connect with them. We want to help them. We want to be a resource to them,” Scruggs said.