Knoxville, TN – The City of Knoxville has officially terminated its contract with Turn Up Knox, the local organization focused on violence interruption and street outreach services. The decision, communicated on February 7, 2025, followed ongoing concerns over the organization’s management and financial practices.
The city’s relationship with Turn Up Knox began in July 2022 when the city entered into a contract with the organization to provide services aimed at reducing violence in the community. The initial contract, worth $450,000, was followed by a second agreement in 2023 for the same amount, after the city saw progress in Turn Up Knox’s efforts during the first year. Additionally, the city provided extensive professional development and training for the organization’s leadership, including support from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform.
However, by the second year of the contract, city officials began raising concerns over the organization’s budget and financial management. According to a city spokesperson, Turn Up Knox had exceeded the contracted budget by $100,000, prompting discussions between the city and the organization’s leadership. Despite these financial issues, the city continued to provide support, including facilitating two grants totaling $85,000 for Turn Up Knox.
In October 2024, the city entered into a third contract with the organization, encouraged by reassurances that management challenges were being addressed. Unfortunately, these concerns worsened after the new agreement was signed. The city pointed to several issues, including:
- Failure to account for taxpayer dollars in a timely and transparent manner
- Consistent failure to attend meetings
- Delays in submitting required reports
- Misrepresentation of contract details
- Inconsistent communications
After months of attempts to work with Turn Up Knox to resolve these issues, the city lost confidence in the organization’s leadership. The final decision to terminate the contract was made in early February 2025.
Throughout the nearly three-year partnership, the City of Knoxville paid Turn Up Knox a total of $957,701.51. Despite the termination, the city acknowledged the organization’s contributions to making Knoxville a safer place to live and work.
City officials emphasized that the decision to end the contract was not made lightly, but was necessary in light of the ongoing management issues and lack of transparency. The city remains committed to finding effective ways to continue supporting violence interruption and outreach efforts in the community.
