Dr. Tom Biller, right, chats with Doug Bailey, a grant evaluator for Cleveland’s Tennessee Targeted Community Crime Reduction grant following a monthly meeting of grant partners Wednesday. Dr. Biller heads the Behavioral Research Institute, one of the two dozen grant partner organizations, including police and schools, targeted specific neighborhoods.ABOUT THE GRANT* Amount: $800,000* Time: January 2011 to June 30, 2013* Source: U.S. Department of Justice, administered by Tennessee* Funded Cities: Cleveland, Jackson, Columbia, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, KingsportSource: State of Tennessee
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The city’s crime reduction effort in two targeted areas is beginning to show positive results, according to police and a federal grant evaluator.
Cleveland is one of six midsized Tennessee cities receiving $800,000 grants spread over three years as part of the Tennessee Targeted Community Crime Reduction program. The effort here involves about two dozen partners ranging from police and schools to youth services such as the Boys and Girls Club, the faith-based Bradley Initiative for Church and Community and adult programs through the Behavioral Research Institute.
“We got this money from the Justice Department for very specific reasons; to show how this collaborative relationship can be effective,” said Doug Bailey, president of Performance Vistas, a Roswell, Ga.,-based nonprofit research firm working with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bailey evaluates all six Targeted Community programs in Tennessee.