April 1, 2021 marked the end of the Safe Indy Security Initiative’s first year, under the leadership of Community Security Director Grant Mendenhall. 
While many of our initiatives were challenged by the COVID-19 environment, and Safe Indy was no exception, the effort was nonetheless incredibly successful in establishing a culture of continuously improving safety and security across all organizations in the community. This program’s foundation was built on the pillars of Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessments; consultations; training; and collaboration with community and law enforcement partners at both local and national levels. 
“I am proud of the first-year accomplishments of our Safe Indy Security Initiative, and our partnership with SCN - all in support of our Jewish community organizations,” said Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis CEO Debra Barton Grant. “I look forward to a successful second year, as we continue safety and security improvements across our community, continue to address ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic, and build new partnerships across Indiana.” 
Safe Indy also established a Community Security Committee to facilitate community-wide information sharing and education; and a Crisis Management Leadership Team, which would become the community leadership focal point in response to a critical event. 
“Our community is safer now than it was a year ago, which is a credit to our community members and leaders who took the lead in establishing and supporting the Safe Indy Security Initiative, and our partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN),” Mendenhall said. “I look forward to building on and expanding our already strong safety and security foundation in year two and beyond.”
The Safe Indy Security Initiative has benefitted greatly from its partnership with SCN, the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. SCN’s expertise, national and global reach, and critical information sharing and intelligence support, has enhanced every aspect of the Safe Indy Security Initiative and increased community awareness regarding all manner of security issues and concerns. 
“The Indianapolis Jewish community has made great strides over the last year in ensuring safe and secure environments for community members and visitors,” said SCN National Director and CEO Michael Masters. “The impact of these efforts is tangible, and it extends to the broader community as well. Building from a strong foundation, this initiative holds great promise for the future safety and security of the Indianapolis Jewish community, and potentially, Jewish communities across the state of Indiana. SCN is honored to partner with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis to support this critical effort.” 
For more information or to support the Safe Indy initiative, contact Jeff Linkon at jlinkon@jfgi,org.