Mayor Tim Kelly and the Chattanooga Police Department are highlighting a series of public safety initiatives ahead of National Night Out, a campaign that promotes police-community partnerships to enhance relationships between residents and law enforcement, and to make our neighborhoods safer places to live.
As cities across the country grapple with the scourge of violent crime, and less than two weeks removed from the murder of Chris Wright in Chattanooga’s city center, work is already underway to fight back as a community, the mayor said Monday.
“Every Chattanoogan deserves to feel safe: at home, at work, downtown, on the street, in our parks, at events, and throughout the community,” said Mayor Kelly. “That starts with law enforcement – and CPD remains committed to proactive policing and enforcement strategies that seek out bad actors and that focus on those committing a majority of the crime in the areas where that crime is occurring.”
Kelly also underscored his commitment to public safety, urging the community to come together around a shared purpose.
“The murder on Market Street and the spate of non-deadly shootings across town are sobering and sad reminders that society is increasingly violent. As law enforcement strives for excellence in combating crime, we all play a part in taking a stand against it — in our neighborhoods and through our community involvement.”
Residents can expect to notice, experience, and to hear more about the following in the coming days and weeks:
- A continuation of the increased police presence and patrols both downtown generally and around Patten Towers specifically.
- Expanding community integration with the CPD’s Real Time Intelligence Center with a specific focus on enhancing video coverage for downtown businesses.
- The Kelly Administration will meet with the owner of Patten Towers this week to discuss a private security framework to supplement CPD’s efforts, designed to protect the general public as well as the population of disabled and senior residents who require tailored protection against criminal elements.
- Mayor Kelly is convening a Public Safety Commission to answer the question: What criminal justice changes are necessary to keep violent, repeat offenders off Chattanooga’s streets?
- The panel of federal, state, and local criminal justice and policy experts will develop a set of recommendations to solve this problem. Formal Federal Judge Sandy Mattice and Chattanooga’s Independent Auditor Stan Sewell have already agreed to serve in this capacity.
“There aren’t easy answers or one single initiative to solve violent crime, and our approach will continue to be multi-faceted, holistic, and comprehensive,” added Kelly.