Latest news with #TurnUpKnox
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Turn Up Knox director announces he's leaving to focus on his city council campaign
Denzel Grant is resigning as executive director of the violence intervention organization Turn Up Knox to focus on his campaign for the Knoxville City Council's District 6 seat. Officially, Grant will step down from the violence intervention program as of Aug. 31. "This has always been part of a larger plan," Grant said in a news release. "When Turn Up Knox was founded in 2022, I made a three-year commitment to help get the organization off the ground and make a lasting impact. I always knew this day would come - not because the mission was complete, but because my service was meant to evolve." Grant told Knox News he was concerned about being perceived as having a conflict of interest if he ran while leading an organization that applies for money from the city. Since 2022, the city had paid Turn Up Knox almost $1 million for violence interruption work before cutting ties with the organization early this year. "I'm stepping down to focus on the campaign and, if elected, to champion this work from a policy level, without any conflict of interest," Grant said in the release. "Running for city council has been a dream of mine since I was a kid growing up in East Tennessee." Grant said that Turn Up Knox would continue to operate under a new director. The Turn Up Knox board of trustees is considering two candidates to replace him. Grant said "no matter what," the work to reduce gun violence in Knoxville will be ongoing. If Grant wins election to the city council, he and the organization could cross paths again to collaborate on reducing gun violence in Knoxville, he said. "District 6 deserves leadership that understands both the pain and the promise of neighborhoods. If I'm fortunate enough to earn the trust of the people, I will take that seat not just as a candidate, but as a neighbor, a veteran, and a son of East Knoxville who's lived the challenges and carries the solutions." After its split from Turn Up Knox, the city contracted with the California-based National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform in May for more than $500,000 to manage violence interruption work. District 6 includes downtown and adjacent neighborhoods to the east and west. The other candidates running for the District 6 seat are Charles Frazier, Stan Johnson, George "Cat Dad" Raudenbush and Lawrence "Man" Williams. Knoxville City Council primary elections are Aug. 26, with early voting open Aug. 6-21. The top two candidates in each district will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Turn Up Knox director leaving to focus on his city council campaign Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Knoxville hires national group for violence interruption work over nonprofits' objections
The Knoxville City Council approved a new violence interruption contract that will bring in the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to lead efforts in the city for up to a year. Council members previously postponed their vote on the contract and asked for a community meeting to hear from groups already doing the work locally. In the end, they went with Mayor Indya Kincannon's plan. The contract will pay NICJR to hire staff in Knoxville and spearhead the efforts that community groups such as Turn Up Knox and Renounce Denounce have undertaken: connecting those at-risk for gun violence with the resources they need to break the cycle. Knoxville has been without a major city-funded violence interruption program since officials terminated Turn Up Knox's contract in early 2025. "Approving this will help us get violence interrupters back on the streets," Kincannon said. But council members Amelia Parker, Seema Singh and Charles Thomas ‒ who all voted against the contract ‒ argued the local nonprofits should be the ones getting taxpayer dollars. "We're got people on the ground who have been doing really good work ‒ data shows they've been doing good work," Thomas said. "They're telling us this is not what's needed. I don't know who else would know better than them." NICJR is a national violence reduction organization from California that has been working with Knoxville in other ways for almost two years, providing coaching and training to city staff and local community partners. The new contract adds $519,750 to the existing contract so NICJR will manage community violence intervention programming as well. The total amount the group will be paid is $826,800. NICJR will hire and manage five messengers to serve as life coaches and outreach workers. Community partners could apply for those positions, though Rashaad Woods, director of the community organization Renounce Denounce, cautioned members of existing groups that applying for the jobs could create a conflict of interest. The contract could last up to a year, and city officials said the goal is for a local community partner to replace NICJR. The city could end the contract early if it feels a community partner is ready, Kincannon said April 29. Knoxville cut ties with Turn Up Knox, the nonprofit it recruited in 2022 to connect those at-risk for gun violence, in February after a dispute between executive director Denzel Grant and city officials. The disruption left the future of violence intervention in Knoxville in flux. On April 29, Kincannon's administration proposed a solution: pay the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to create a team of local leaders who are already doing violence intervention to replace Turn Up Knox. LaKenya Middlebrook, the director of Knoxville's office of community safety and empowerment, said her team doesn't have the capacity to support Turn up Knox and its work. The contract would take the pressure off that office and allow experts from National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to fill the gap. Dissenters accused Kincannon of attempting to reinvent the wheel despite local groups' success in violence interruption last year. Other concerns included a lack of financial support for local community partners, outsourcing management to an out-of-state organization, a vague contract itself and hasty approval without a wider community conversation. Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville hires national group for violence interruption work
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Contract will decide who handles Knoxville violence interruption: An outside agency or local groups
The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform plans to hire local violence interruption experts if the Knoxville City Council hires the agency to help curb crime. The agency, if hired, also intends to establish an advisory board of local leaders and stakeholders to provide feedback and support its work to lower the number of murders in Knoxville. Mayor Indya Kincannon proposed giving the California-based group $519,750 to manage violence interruption work after the city ended its contract with the nonprofit Turn Up Knox. The council will vote on the contract May 13. "We are proposing that over the next twelve months, we focus on how we target the right people in the right way, and propose six local full-time violent intervention specialists, including a program manager," Keiland Henderson, the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform associate director of violence reduction, said at a May 12 community meeting. The city held the meeting after pushback from council members over the need to hire an outside group when residents are already doing the work. Kincannon's administration stopped paying Turn Up Knox earlier this year after the nonprofit failed to meet the demands of its contract. Violence interruption targets those who are at risk of committing a crime, and it complements traditional policing. NICJR plans to improve data collection, provide training and hire full-time violent intervention specialists from Knoxville. The agency, if it's hired, will set up an application process for its specialists and will decide who to hire based on their background and experience. "We will turn no one away who is well-qualified for these positions," Henderson said. Henderson said most at-risk individuals have previously been arrested, have ties to recent shootings and are between the ages of 25 and 34. In the year of the proposed contract, the agency will help build up the capacity of individuals and organizations working on violence reduction. Denzel Grant, director for Turn Up Knox, hopes community members speak to council members about delaying the contract once again to buy more time for a different solution. Rashaad Woods, director for Renounce Denounce, wants to see a few modifications on who will be hired for the specialist positions. Both want to see local violence interruption groups get more assistance because, they say, they know who needs help from their time out in the community every day. Myron Thompson reports on public safety for Knox News. Email: This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform details plans for Knoxville
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turn Up Knox receives outside funding after city contract terminated
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A local violence prevention nonprofit has secured outside funding after the City of Knoxville decided to end its partnership with the organization. Turn Up Knox's contract with the city was canceled in February, and the nonprofit received over $100,000 of outstanding payments from the city in April. The city partnered with the organization in 2022 to launch violence prevention and intervention initiatives following an increase in gun violence. 18-year-old charged with attempted murder after shooting in Knoxville Executive Director Denzel Grant said the city funding helped build the organization from the ground up, but Turn Up Knox will continue to operate despite losing this funding. 'We do have our 501(c)(3) status now. Currently, we've received funding from the Gene [and Florence] Monday Foundation. The Appalachian Fund has been a great resource for us as well, and we're continuing to have conversations with other philanthropists who are out here supporting the work,' said Grant. Knoxville 311 launches 'Rocky Bot' AI tool launched to help residents 6 News conversation with Denzel Grant continues Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Tennessee This Week. He and Bo Williams talk more about violence prevention in the community, and the Knoxville City Council District 6 race which Grant announced he was running. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Knoxville refunds $112k to nonprofit after contract termination
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The City of Knoxville agreed to reimburse a local nonprofit over $100,000 following a decision to terminate their contract for violence prevention and intervention initiatives. Knoxville will refund Turn Up Knox a total of $112,129.21 for services provided during August 2023, September 2024, and October 2024. The reimbursement request from the nonprofit said that the refund would allow the organization to continue youth outreach efforts through the summer. How dark is too dark for car window tint in Tennessee? The city partnered with the organization in 2022 to launch violence prevention and intervention initiatives following an increase in gun violence. Despite expressing satisfaction with the group's effort and helping it secure additional grant funding, the contract was terminated by the city in February. City officials cited management issues and inconsistent communication. Turn Up Knox Founder and Executive Director Denzel Grant criticized the decision to terminate the contract without input from City Council and pointed to recent decline in crime rates as evidence of the group's impact. 'In 2019, Black and Brown men and women made up 75% of the city's homicide victims. By 2024, that number had dropped to 39%,' Grant said in a statement. 'That's not a coincidence—that's the result of intentional, community-driven violence interruption.' ▶ See more top stories on In 2024, a Knoxville Police Department report showed that crime was down in nearly every category for 2024. This included a drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
