As the Office of Community Safety continues to research and implement best practices, a growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of place-based strategies. Place-based strategies are a holistic approach to reducing violence by focusing resources and attention on the neighborhoods where violence is most concentrated. Rather than solely relying on reactive interventions, this approach seeks to prevent violence by changing the underlying conditions that allow it to occur, such as blight, limited access to resources, and social disconnection. The goal is to create stable, thriving communities where safety is the norm and residents have access to the support they need.
Project TLC (Tender Loving Care), a term coined by Mayor Indya Kincannon, represents Knoxville’s place-based strategy to violence reduction. Each zone brings together a coalition of partners, including the Office of Community Safety, Knoxville Police Department, Neighborhood Codes Enforcement, community-based organizations, and, most importantly, residents themselves.
Launched on November 1, 2023, the initiative began in the East District, a district that was plagued by 24 homicides in 2022. Project TLC focuses on a 7.5-block area of the East District where data shows the highest concentration of fatal and nonfatal shootings. Since its inception, that area has experienced only one homicide and zero nonfatal shooting victims, becoming a blueprint for expansion into the West and Central Districts. On June 9, 2024, Project TLC expanded to include Western Heights and Montgomery Village—both KCDC properties that meet the same high-risk criteria.
Project TLC prioritizes intentional community engagement, hosting monthly zone meetings that provide a regular forum for residents to express concerns, offer ideas, and collaborate on neighborhood improvements. From those meetings came the idea for Project TLC Community Bashes. These Community Bashes offered free food, resources, and activities while connecting residents to local service providers and city departments. These events served more than 750 residents in the 3 zoned areas.
To ensure efforts remain community-driven, surveys are administered to identify the services residents want and need, further aligning resources with local priorities and promoting long-term stability and resilience.
View Zoning Maps [PDF]