KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Knoxville has not had a single murder since the start of the year, according to the police department.
Violent crime and murders are down across the city, and officials are pointing to Project TLC as a factor in keeping numbers down. The initiative involves police officers interacting with more people across the city through walking patrols and community engagement.
The city has been implementing the program for a couple of years. The mayor’s office and KPD go into specific areas and talk to people who live there. This week, they started in the Lonsdale area.
More police walking around in Lonsdale is getting mixed reaction from residents.
John Lewis, another Lonsdale neighbor, disagreed.
“They walk around, they make the people who live out here nervous. The neighborhood doesn’t have a good report with the police department,” Lewis said.
KPD wants less violent crime, specifically gun violence. People living in Lonsdale have seen it firsthand.
The community also remembers a deadly shooting from 30 years ago. A memorial honors 5-year-old Brittany Daniels, who was shot and killed in the area. In 2015, Zaevion Dobson died shielding his friends from gunshots.
From Texas Avenue to Louisiana Avenue, KPD says there have been 12 shootings in the last five years. Four were deadly.
“Essentially, we’re going to be doing walking patrols at different times of the day,” said Captain Tracy Hunter with the Knoxville Police Department.
“Our aim is to identify any issues that we see, take action if necessary, but also just to primarily engage the residents. Get to know the residents in the community,” Hunter said.
KPD has responded to more than 1,600 calls in the area over the last two years. They are also working to decrease crime there for the Fourth of July weekend, when they expect calls for fireworks and other incidents.
