October 25, 2019 - Mayor Tom Henry today was joined by Police Chief Steve Reed, Reverend Dr. Charles Harrison, Oxford Community residents, TenPoint Coalition financial partners, TenPoint Coalition Foot Patrols and Fort Wayne UNITED representatives to announce that in the last twelve months, both violent crime and property crime decreased in the Oxford Community, the first recipient of Mayor Henry’s TenPoint Coalition initiative that was launched on October 25, 2018.
The Fort Wayne Police Department has released the following crime statistics for the Oxford Community:
- Rape decreased 77%
- Aggravated Assault decreased 65%
- Robbery decreased 62%
- Burglary decreased 31%
- Larceny decreased 12%
- Motor Vehicle Theft decreased 28%
Additionally, there were no homicides between October 25, 2018 and October 25, 2019 in the Oxford Community.
“I’m encouraged that in such a short time the TenPoint Coalition has made a powerful impact in the Oxford Community by building relationships and trust with the residents,” said Mayor Henry. “I look forward to expanding this grass roots effort to other neighborhoods in order to generate more hope and opportunity throughout our city, so that we can continue to enhance community pride and help residents and neighborhoods grow and thrive in a safe environment.”
Fort Wayne’s TenPoint Coalition has also become a national model for how communities, law enforcement, and local government can work together to curb the pattern of violence, and put our most at risk youth and young adults on the pathway to success. Over fifteen cities have contacted Fort Wayne UNITED, showing interest in developing a program like Fort Wayne’s TenPoint Coalition. In response, a TenPoint USA program has been developed. Fort Wayne UNITED has been working with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Governor Mike DeWine to launch two TenPoint USA Ohio cities by early 2020.
The TenPoint USA team from Fort Wayne and Indianapolis will travel to the cities and provide technical assistance, on the ground training and peer support to help those communities launch, execute and sustain a successful TenPoint Coalition program.
“TenPoint USA will be focused on empowering communities to play a significant role in their own violence prevention strategies by engaging specific neighborhoods, promoting peace, and connecting individuals to life changing resources,” said Reverend Harrison. “The progress Fort Wayne’s TenPoint Coalition has made in such a short time is exceptional and I’m looking forward to cities all over the nation using the program to have stronger communities and to save lives.”
Modeled after the Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition, led by Reverend Harrison, Fort Wayne’s TenPoint Coalition is focused on addressing youth gun violence as well as improving conditions and the quality of life for residents in the areas of education, health, and housing.
Local TenPoint Coalition Foot Patrols began building relationships with Oxford Community residents in 2018 and have maintained a constant presence in the area by patrolling the neighborhood most evenings.
Also, during this first year of the initiative, representatives from area churches, Fort Wayne residents and the Fort Wayne Police Department joined the TenPoint Coalition Foot Patrols for Prayer in the Park events and prayer walks through the Oxford Community, with the intent of bringing the Fort Wayne community together to become a more united and understanding city, willing to tackle challenging issues in a positive manner that will lead to lasting results.
The TenPoint Coalition Foot Patrols passed out donated baskets of food, children’s gifts and winter apparel to those in need shortly before Christmas, and during the summer partnered with the Fort Wayne Fire Department to deliver and install smoke detectors to Oxford Community residents.
“When our team at Parks and Recreation was approached with the idea to host the TenPoint Coalition Foot Patrols at Weisser Park Youth Center, we were one hundred percent behind this initiative and honored to be included in the effort to improve our neighborhoods,” said Parks & Recreation Director Steve McDaniel. “Our Centers have a dedicated team of employees and hundreds of children who spend their afternoons with us after school, looking for a safe place to learn and play. Because of Fort Wayne UNITED’s passion and hard work, we are seeing a difference, and are excited to see the future of this initiative.”
Trinity English Lutheran Church became the first financial partner to join with Fort Wayne UNITED in creating a TenPoint Coalition in Fort Wayne. With support from the following private donations and Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office, Fort Wayne UNITED received the funding that was needed to launch Fort Wayne’s TenPoint Coalition in 2018: Sweetwater Sound, YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, Ambassador Enterprises, Arlan Friesen, Patti Hays, Wallen Baptist Church, Liz and Derek Berkes from Waiter On The Way, and Parkview Health.
Fort Wayne UNITED is a Mayoral initiative from Mayor Tom Henry that places two national efforts, Cities United and My Brother's Keeper, under one umbrella. It is designed to answer the call to enhance opportunities, advance youth advocacy and help create a safer city for all, but more specifically for black men and boys. By bringing together a group of passionate and committed leaders, the initiative educates, informs and engages the community in an effort to make positive change one neighborhood at a time.
Visit https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/fort-wayne-united-home.html for more information.