Tennessee’s governor Tuesday announced that the state would give local law enforcement $100 million to fight violent crime.
“As Americans face rising crime nationwide, TN is launching the $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund to equip local law enforcement with tools to keep every community safe,” Gov. Bill Lee (R) said on Twitter. “I invite all TN police departments & sheriff’s offices to apply today.”
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented support. Every Tennessean deserves to feel safe in their community, & through this fund, local law enforcement agencies across TN can access the Proven Crime Prevention resources needed to deliver that quality of life.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) October 11, 2022
“Unprecedented times call for unprecedented support. Every Tennessean deserves to feel safe in their community, & through this fund, local law enforcement agencies across TN can access the Proven Crime Prevention resources needed to deliver that quality of life,” Lee said.
He attached a press release that elaborated further on the eight-figure plan.
“As a cornerstone of Gov. Lee’s Proven Crime Prevention agenda, the Violent Crime Intervention Fund was included in the state’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget to support local law enforcement’s work to reduce violent crime and strengthen public safety,” according to the release. “Eligible uses of funding include evidence-based crime intervention models, hiring and training of specialized violent crime units, purchase and application of technology and equipment and law enforcement-led partnerships with community organizations to disrupt and prevent violent crime.”
Law enforcement agencies are invited to apply for grants through January of next year.
According to Lee’s office, the grants will be awarded using a “hybrid” model, wherein localities will receive a flat amount of money, but can access supplemental funds by partnering with other law enforcement entities on a state and local level.
Crime in Tennessee has been a topic of conversation nationwide after a wave of brutal September violence in Memphis.
A man called Ezekiel Kelly live-streamed himself as he went on a killing rampage in the city.
Before that, a man called Cleotha Abston, who had a long criminal history, allegedly abducted and killed Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, whose body was found after a days-long manhunt.
Fletcher’s killing spurred a conversation about the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) rape kit backlog after Abston’s DNA was matched to a rape kit from a Memphis woman whom he allegedly raped a year prior to Fletcher’s kidnapping.
The state responded by announcing that it would hire more than two dozen new forensic analysts to reduce the backlog for rape kit testing.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bill Lee Meets With Police” by Gov. Bill Lee.
