INDIANAPOLIS — How can Indianapolis become a safer city? One organization believes the answer is to talk about frustrations before they boil over into violence.
The Indy Center for Conflict Resolution demonstrated its community mediation service at the Moorhead Community Resource Center in Warren Township Saturday morning.
The service allows people going through a dispute to talk about their issues with a neutral party keeping the conversation on track.
The organization believes emotional intelligence will directly lead to more peaceful streets.
"Conflict resolution builds peace," said Indy Center for Conflict Resolution director Vanessa Romero. "We have to continue to stop the trigger before it's pulled."
"Everybody needs to know how to resolve conflict, and everybody needs to know how to hear someone else's point of view," said Chrissy Wutster of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, which oversees the Indy Center for Conflict Resolution.
Debby Patterson came to the demonstration after witnessing the positive affects of their mediation.
"We had an issue in our neighborhood between two neighbors," Patterson said. "They went to mediation and from what I know, things were settled."
Patterson came away from the program even more impressed with the potential of conflict mediation, both for others and for herself.
"I tend to be a hothead. When I've had situations, I don't handle it the best way, and I want to learn how to do that," Patterson said. "I plan on taking this back to my community, I plan on volunteering, and I plan on showing my neighbors that we can work together."
You can sign up to volunteer with the Indy Center for Conflict Resolution here.
