Violent Crime Intervention Fund

The purpose of the Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF) grant program is to provide support to local law enforcement in developing and implementing proven public safety strategies to combat violent crime (including juvenile violent crime).

The Violent Crime Intervention Fund grants will support:

• Implementation of programming based on proven effective violent crime intervention models

• Hiring and training of specialized violent crime investigative units

• Purchase and application of new technology and equipment

• Law enforcement led partnerships with community organizations of their choice to directly disrupt or prevent violent crime

Eligible applicants include municipal and county local law enforcement agencies, including metropolitan governments seeking to address violent crime in their communities.

A law enforcement agency receiving a grant is authorized to enter into a grant agreement or subcontract with a local governmental agency or a third-party nonprofit organization to provide programs and services; provided that a nonprofit organization has at least five (5) years' experience in providing programs and services focused on violent crime intervention. Those programs and services must be evidence-based or research-based and accompanied by monitoring and quality control procedures that ensure that such programs and services are delivered according to applicable standards.

State funds may be used by the subrecipient for personnel costs, training and technical assistance, equipment, operational costs, and information systems that are part of an approved project and are in addition to the resources already available to the subrecipient.  Costs must be reasonable, allocable, and necessary to the project and comply with the State Program requirements.  Any questions about allowable use of funds should be directed to the Office of Criminal Justice Programs.

Vehicles: All vehicles funded in whole or in part with VCIF funds that are not explicitly stated in the Scope as “covert/undercover” must be clearly marked with branding consistent with the unit’s other fleet vehicles.  This includes but is not limited to: armored rescue vehicles, boats, UTVs/ATVs, trucks, vans, and cars.  Such vehicles must be issued to the unit described in the scope and used only within the purpose outlined in the VCIF scope.

General Salaries and Personnel Costs: Payment of personnel costs are allowable if costs are a part of an approved project and are necessary and incidental to project implementation and operation. Overtime pay will only be approved by OCJP on a case by case basis.

Operational Costs: Payment of operational costs is allowable if costs are part of an   approved project and are necessary to the project implementation and operation.  Operational costs may include supplies, telecommunication costs, postage and shipping, printing and publications costs, rent, equipment rental costs and insurance costs.  Costs for a program must be prorated across all fund sources.

Furniture Costs: Payment of furniture must be pre-approved by OCJP before a purchase is made.

Professional Fees: If the implementing governmental agency is entering into a subcontractual relationship with an entity that is providing project based professional services for the project, a subcontract will be required between the implementing agency and the subcontracting entity.  Subrecipients should check the Grants Manual as many items in this line item require a pre-approved Subcontract.  The subcontract should include the name of the individual or company being used, the number of hours or days for the fiscal year, and the total cost.  Consultant rates of payment are to be reasonable and consistent with fees for similar services in the market place.

Individual consultant fees cannot exceed $650 per day or $81.25 per hour; this includes legal, medical, psychological, training, and accounting consultants.

Equipment and Technology Purchases: Radios purchased with grant funds must meet P25 CAP Encryption Requirements, which have no encryption, have AES 256 algorithm, and have AES 256 algorithm along with any other non-standard encryption algorithms.

License Plate Readers may only be purchased with grant funds via statewide contract; they must be installed on state right of ways and are approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-8-198. Please review the memo sent to VCIF-funded agencies who budgeted for license plate readers, dated 1/23/2024.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in a questioned cost and agencies will be required to pay back all cost not compliant with this section and certification.

Additionally, agencies are strongly encouraged to utilize statewide contracts and cooperative agreements, to expedite the purchasing process. Equipment and technology purchases under this application will first identify products currently on state contract or local cooperative agreement as the first choice to allow for consistency across entities, enhanced data collection, and a uniform system of tracking violent criminals.

Preferred equipment includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Shot Spotter Technology

• License plate readers (LPRs) on SWC450

• Pole cameras

• Video Analysis Software

• Body Armor for agency personnel and K-9s

• Body-worn cameras

• P25 Radios

Equipment expenses, which are part of an approved project, if necessary and allocable to that project, are allowable expenses.  Equipment defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit or “Sensitive Minor Equipment”.  “Sensitive Minor Equipment” defined as moveable, high-risk, sensitive property items purchased with a cost between $500.00 and $5,000.00, such as computers (i.e., laptops, tablets), weapons, TVs, and cameras acquired, used and managed for criminal justice grant purposes. Equipment or other assets that are purchased in whole or in part with grant funds are subject to OCJP policy guidelines.  These guidelines require that whenever a subrecipient wishes to dispose of surplus equipment, or change its use, the equipment must be returned to the Office of Criminal Justice Programs. There is no time limit on this requirement. 

Software and Hardware:  Any law enforcement records management system must be from a TBI approved vendor and be TIBRS compliant.  Records management systems must be preapproved by OCJP prior to submitting the proposal.  Records management systems must be XML compatible.

Travel: Expenses and reimbursements for in state and out of state travel must follow the most current comprehensive State of Tennessee Travel Rules and Regulations.

Training, Conferences, and Meetings: Training, Conferences, and Meetings which are part of an approved project, if necessary and allocable to that project, are allowable expenses. The following cost thresholds are in place:

Meeting Room/Audio Visual Services: Lesser of $25 per day per attendee or $20,000.

Logistical Planners: Lesser of $50 per attendee or $8,750.

Programmatic Planners: Lesser of $200 per attendee or $35,000.

Food and Beverage: Generally not allowed.

Refreshments: Generally not allowed.

Generic Unallowable Costs:

• Construction
• Land acquisition (Purchase of real property),
• Any expenditures that reflect supplanting,
• Compensation of federal employees,
• Travel of federal employees,
• Bonuses or commissions,
• Military type equipment,
• Uniforms
• Lobbying,
• Fundraising (including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions),
• Corporate formation,
• State and Local taxes,
• Legal fees,
• Cost in applying for this grant,
• Any expenses prior to the grant award date,
• First class travel,
• Gift cards,
• Depreciation,
• Sole source contracts (without the prior written approval from the OCJP), and
• Cost incurred outside the project period.

The following services, activities, and costs CANNOT be supported with state grant funds:

• Fundraising: Subrecipients are not permitted to use state funds for fundraising.
• Inherently Religious Activities: State funding may not be used to support inherently (or explicitly) religious activities.
• Dues or Membership Fees:  State funds may not be used for dues or membership fees to an organization conducting any type of lobbying, including advocating  with government agencies for policy change.

The Project Director is responsible for timely submission of completed program reports each quarter and at the end of the year. Inability to submit required reports in a timely fashion is considered a failure of required contract obligations. All reporting links are located under the reporting tab of OCJP's website. 

Annual Report: Click here This report is due July 31 for all executed contracts.  

Certification Packet : Click here for a copy of the certification packet. This packet was signed by your agency's Authorized Official and submitted with your contract. 

Invoice for Reimbursement (Non-state Agencies): The invoice is used to request monthly reimbursement. It is strongly recommended that agencies invoice monthly, when monthly expenditures are incurred. However subrecipient agencies can invoice quarterly. If invoicing quarterly, agencies MUST request reimbursement 30 days after the end of each quarter for all the expenses incurred during the quarter in its entirety. Funds can only be distributed to sub-recipients upon receipt of a properly prepared and signed invoice. The invoices are emailed to the Office of Business and Finance of the Department of Finance and Administration.

Service Partner Quarterly Report - If your agency passed VCIF funds or VCIF-funded equipment/supplies to a local government agency or third-party nonprofit to support programming or services, then you are required to complete the Quarterly VCIF Service Partner Report.  Quarterly reports must be submitted one month after the end of the quarter. The due dates for quarterly reports are:

• April 30 (for quarter January 1 – March 31)
• July 31 (for quarter April 1 – June 30)
• October 31 (for quarter July 1 – September 30)
• January 31 (for quarter October 1 – December 31)

Video: How to complete the Quarterly Service Partner Report – Recorded 10/10/23

Project directors are encouraged to make the results and accomplishments of their activities available to the public. A subrecipient who publicizes project activities and results shall adhere to the following:

Responsibility for the direction of the project should not be ascribed to the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs.

All reports, studies, notices, informational pamphlets, press releases, signs, billboards, DVDs, public awareness kits, training curricula, webinars, websites, and similar public notices (written, visual or sound) prepared and released by the Grantee shall include the statement:

“This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.”

Additionally, studies and research/report type publications expressing the direction of project activity must also contain the following funding statement:

“The opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of or the State of Tennessee, Office of Criminal Justice Programs.”