In June 2004, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the deployment of Violent Crime Impact Teams (VCIT) in 15 cities. This pilot program, designed and implemented in collaboration with the Deputy Attorney General, sought to extend recent reductions in the rate of overall violent crime to select areas exhibiting significant numbers of homicides. Fourteen of the fifteen cities selected for the initial deployment of the VCITs saw homicides climb from 1,425 to 1,605 - an increase of 13 percent between 2002 and 2003.