Pence visit with Ten Point Coalition raises eyebrows in black community

Vice President Mike Pence's planned speech at a local crime prevention organization's annual luncheon has raised some eyebrows in Indianapolis' black community.

Pence, who was noticeably quiet about gun violence in Indianapolis — even as homicides hit record highs during his four-year term as governor — is the scheduled keynote speaker at the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition's meeting at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown on Friday.

The organization, led by the Rev. Charles Harrison, is facing a flurry of praise and criticism for its decision to host a vice president who is part of a tough-on-crime agenda promoted by President Donald Trump.

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Harrison acknowledged the criticism and told IndyStar, "We cannot solve this problem if we don’t inject this issue into the White House — this is an American problem and it cannot be a Democratic or Republican issue or black or white issue."

Dominic Dorsey, president of DONT SLEEP, an Indianapolis organization akin to Black Lives Matter, disagrees.

"They are certainly not courting the African-American community in aligning themselves with him," Dorsey said of Pence. DONT SLEEP claims to fight systems of oppression and works for equal rights on a range of issues.

Dorsey cited the $250-a-plate cost of attending the luncheon, adding that it is inaccessible to many black Hoosiers. He charged that the Ten Point Coalition "is courting wealthy conservatives who need that rub to say they're giving to a minority organization that's fighting crime."

Said Dorsey: "Shaking hands with him is a slap in the face of the community that did not want (Pence) as Governor."

Joe Slash, former head of the Indianapolis Urban League, says he respects and admires the work of the Ten Point Coalition. "I'm sure there will be corporate supporters there (at the luncheon) and God bless the Ten Point Coalition that will benefit from it."

Slash also is a member of the civilian police merit board, which is charged with hiring, firing and disciplining Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers.

Slash commended the group for reaching across political aisle to address crime prevention. He added a caveat that "a lot of people in the black community don't have fond feelings for Mike Pence and there's been a negative reaction about their bringing him here for a fundraiser."

Slash said the Ten Point Coalition "should have consulted people before they made that decision."

Pence has long been a supporter of the Ten Point Coalition, specifically after several high-profile killings. One shooting at a memorial service left a 10-year-old boy dead. It took place in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, which also is home to the governor’s residence.

Pence joined the group in July 2016 to walk through two of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods. Pence called Ten Point Coalition's efforts a “model program.”

His current visit to Indianapolis comes during the same week that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced plans to partner with the organization to reduce crime throughout the state.

More: Attorney General Curtis Hill launches plan to spread Ten Point Coalition model

Hill said his office will award up to $500,000 in grants to community groups that are willing to replicate Ten Point's "boots on the ground" method of building relationships with residents and police.

Andrew Downs, a political science professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, said Pence's appearance could be politically motivated.

"In many respects, this is an example of a community-based organization that should be liked and preferred by an awful lot of Republicans," Downs said.

"They are not using government dollars, they are a religious and faith-based organization and obviously the connection to the African-American community — they've wanted far greater support from black voters," Downs said.

Slash balks at any potential attempt to woo black voters. "That still isn't going to translate into votes for the Trump administration," he said.

During Pence’s four years as governor, illegal drug abuse and homicides were major problems. Under Pence, heroin and opioid deaths soared in Indiana, part of a growing national trend.

The state also led the nation in methamphetamine lab busts from 2012-14, earning the dubious distinction as the meth cooking capital of the country before falling 30 percent in 2015. Indianapolis also saw homicides spike to record levels.

Pence directed some resources to combat drug abuse and addiction, but he rarely spoke about the shooting deaths in Indianapolis.

Olgen Williams, a deputy mayor under former Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican, disagrees. He says Pence has a successful record on violent crime.

The state opened a new mental health hospital under Pence and he signed a measure making it more difficult to obtain over-the-counter drugs used to produce meth.

Pence also set up a drug task force, but was criticized for being slow to respond to an HIV outbreak in Scott County driven by needle sharing. He eventually authorized a needle exchange program for the county.

In 2015, Pence signed “Jenny’s Law," which extends the time frame for prosecuting some rape cases.

Pence does draw the line at gun control, however. As governor, he signed several measures to protect or expand gun rights. Those measures included the legalization of manufactured sawed-off shotguns, allowing people to keep guns locked in their vehicles in school parking lots and a law intended to inoculate gun manufacturers from an ongoing lawsuit filed by the city of Gary.

However, critics — and even former President Barack Obama — have suggested that Indiana’s lax gun laws are partially to blame for homicide problems in neighboring Chicago.

"We all know that firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens don't threaten our families — they protect our families," Pence said at a 2014 NRA convention in Indianapolis. "Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens don't cause crime — they help in the fight against crime."

Harrison with the Coalition says he wants to encourage people to think about the issue at hand.

"We are facing a national epidemic with youth urban gun violence," he said. "Over half of homicide victims are black and we only represent 13 percent of the nation’s population.

"It is time to wake up."

Call IndyStar reporter Fatima Hussein at (317) 444-6209. Follow her on Twitter: @fatimathefatima.