Chattanooga City Council renews contract of group behind city's violence reduction plan

Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher

"The student is quickly becoming the teacher. I would expect this time next year to see a significant decrease in services."

photo Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher

Chattanooga City Council members on Tuesday agreed to re-hire the national organization behind Chattanooga's Violence Reduction Initiative and will pay the organization another $200,000 for services through the end of 2015.

Council members voted unanimously to extend the city's contract with the National Network of Safer Communities and its director, criminologist David Kennedy. The organization gave Chattanooga officials and police access to research and experts as local leaders rolled out the Violence Reduction Initiative in Chattanooga during 2014.

VRI aims to drastically reduce gang-related gun violence in Chattanooga. The city initially agreed to pay Kennedy's organization $240,000 for a year-long contract that expired at the end of 2014, in large part because Kennedy pioneered the techniques that underlay VRI.

On Tuesday, police Chief Fred Fletcher said the partnership with the National Network of Safer Communities has been productive. The organization helped the police audit violence in the city and helped police develop a tracking mechanism to follow gang violence, he said.

"We have learned a great deal," he told City Council members. "I have learned a tremendous amount through the support and expertise of the National Network of Safer Communities."

But Fletcher added that he is asking for a reduced amount for the 2015 contract because the police department does not expect to rely as heavily on Kennedy's experts this year.

When pressed by city council members on how long the city will need to continue to pay the organization, Fletcher said he expects the police will need even less help from Kennedy -- and perhaps none at all -- after this year.

"The student is quickly becoming the teacher," Fletcher said, adding later, "I would expect this time next year to see a significant decrease in services."

Not all city council members were convinced that the city needed to renew the contract again, even this year. Councilman Yusuf Hakeem repeatedly questioned Fletcher about whether or not VRI is working and what input community members have had into the process.

Fletcher pointed to a decrease in gang-related shootings, including homicides, as evidence that VRI is working. So far this year there have been 11 shootings incidents linked to gang members, while at this point last year there had been 17.

Including gun violence not linked to gangs, there have been 20 shootings -- including four homicides -- so far this year. At this time last year, there had been 27 shootings, including six homicides.

And when police compare the last five months with the same time frame last year, there have been seven fewer gang-related shooting incidents this year -- 22 compared to 29 last year.

"I believe it has shown its effectiveness," Fletcher said. "I believe we are seeing positive results."

But Hakeem emphasized that the violence is still prevalent in certain neighborhoods.

"There is a group of citizens who question the effectiveness of the program," he said. "It may be citizens in those communities where the shootings are still going on. And the shootings are still going on."

Contact staff reporter Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.

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