During Youth Violence Protection Week, the Knoxville City Council has been actively engaged in the search for a new intervention program to tackle the city's violence issues. This initiative follows the council's decision to sever its partnership with Turn Up Knox earlier this February. The council has put forth a resolution earmarking $519,750 for the creation of a violence intervention program to be implemented by the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), a California-based group. A meeting held on Tuesday brought the matter under serious scrutiny, with local organizations, feeling sidelined, airing grievances over their perceived exclusion from the process.
Local program director Rashaad Woods, representing the ReNOUNce DeNOUNce Gang Intervention Program, didn't hold back his criticism. "It’s pretty much a slap in the face to anybody that’s been out here actually doing the work and showing results," he told WVLT News. Concerns were raised that the city's decision to hire outside help was both dismissive of local efforts and possibly inefficient. Woods pointedly questioned the need to contract a non-local entity to address community-specific challenges. Nonetheless, in defense of the decision to fund NICJR, the city highlighted NICJR's credentials and explained that the organization would still employ local individuals to execute the program.
As discussions unfolded, council members and residents alike expressed divergent views on the proposed contract with NICJR. One opposing speaker at the meeting, Vivian Shipe, questioned the rationale behind spending time and resources to train new people when local groups are already established. On the other hand, supporters like Candace Allen praised NICJR's expertise. "I have always been impressed with their expertise (NICJR) and their knowledge. They're a national organization that has a good reputation for this kind of work," Allen said during the council meeting. Amidst this debate, the council chose to postpone the decision by two weeks, giving stakeholders additional time to collaborate and assess the best course of action.
Meanwhile, community efforts to stem violence continue unabated. The ReNOUNce DeNOUNce program, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of East Tennessee, recently held an event to engage with the youth through activities and violence prevention education. Understanding the importance of early intervention, Woods emphasized connecting with kids to prevent them from becoming desensitized to violence. "In this community, people become desensitized," he told WATE. "Those kids are being indoctrinated and desensitized to the violence that goes on in this community right now. So it’s best to connect with them right now instead of waiting until they’re 16, 17, or 18 and have already committed a violent crime to try and talk to them." This proactive stance by local organizations underscores a broader consensus around the need for immediate action to safeguard the youth and combat the cycle of violence.
