By Ginny LaRoe
Staff Writer
Criminals know no boundaries, but police do, and they say working across jurisdictions with the more than one dozen law enforcement entities in Hamilton County is essential to keeping the peace.
“Bad guys really don’t care about borders of cities and jurisdiction,” Chattanooga Police Department Chief Steve Parks said. The chief said that is why he makes it a priority to help share information among agencies not only in Hamilton County but across the region.
Law enforcement jurisdictions often begin and end with city limits or a piece of land or building, and while state law authorizes certified officers to enforce the law anywhere in the state, department policies and memorandums of understandings among various agencies define where officers should work.
“The only downside is anytime you have that many agencies there’s information within those agencies that may not get out to the other law enforcement agencies,” Chief Parks said.
The Chattanooga Police Department is trying to acquire a $200,000 computer program, made possible under homeland security funding, that will allow officers across the region to search a database full of useful information, the chief said. Chief Parks said it is a “cop Google” of sorts.
In addition to the more than 700 officers who work for municipal police departments and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, there are dozens of gun-slinging, handcuff-carrying officers employed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Erlanger hospital, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Airport Authority and other entities.
All the officers are certified by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission after they satisfy training requirements.
“If you’re outside your jurisdiction and see some criminal activity taking place, normally they’re going to contact the local jurisdiction,” said John Welch, assistant director of the Tennessee Law Enforcement
Academy, one of nine academies in the state officers can attend to get their POST certification. He said officers outside their jurisdiction will take action before contacting the appropriate agency if they feel it is necessary.
Police across the county say they work with neighboring agencies daily to execute arrest warrants, apprehend suspects and even prevent crimes.
“We’re here for the same thing, and that’s to save lives and keep the peace,” said Red Bank Police Chief Larry Sneed. Red Bank is among the smaller police agencies in Hamilton County with 22 officers.
Earlier this year, an armed man barricaded himself in his home after allegedly assaulting a woman and kidnapping a child. Chief Sneed said Red Bank personnel called the Chattanooga SWAT team, which provided tactical assistance. The incident ended in the suspect being apprehended without incident, he said.
East Ridge Police Capt. Tim Mullinax said police there have the challenge of solving crimes across jurisdictions in Hamilton County and into Georgia.
“We’re only 20,000 (in population), but we’re surrounded by 170,000 in Chattanooga and the population in Fort Oglethorpe,” he said.
Police say that while they share the goal of ensuring public safety, their daily responsibilities vary.
The Tennessee and Federal bureaus of investigation have agents in Chattanooga who investigate state and federal crimes but also work with local police to prosecute cases.
A series of convenience store robberies in East Ridge, Chattanooga, Rossville and Catoosa County, Ga., prompted federal investigators to seek charges against three suspects, Capt. Mullinax said.
Tennessee Valley Authority police, who patrol nine properties in downtown Chattanooga and various other TVA sites in the area, also have the authority to enforce federal laws.
TVA Police Capt. Phillip Patterson said they are commissioned through the U.S. Department of Justice and enforce laws such as the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1984 that was designed to protect American Indian burial grounds and artifacts.
Domestic disputes keep smaller agencies including Red Bank busy, while airport police are more apt to cite people for parking violations, officials with those entities said.
Fire and Police Chief Randall Bowden, of Lookout Mountain, said officers there respond to a lot of false burglary alarms and assist residents in nonemergency situations.
“Nothing real major,” said the chief, who oversees 16 certified officers who are cross-trained as firefighters.
Do Hamilton County’s officers believe they should merge their policing operations?
Some, including Chattanooga’s Chief Parks, won’t give their opinions. East Ridge’s Capt. Mullinax said
he thought that city’s residents would not be happy if their police department merged with a larger agency.
“You don’t have the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve got a local person you can contact on a daily basis” under such an arrangement, he said.
E-mail Ginny LaRoe at glaroe@timesfreepress.com
Staff Writer
Criminals know no boundaries, but police do, and they say working across jurisdictions with the more than one dozen law enforcement entities in Hamilton County is essential to keeping the peace.
“Bad guys really don’t care about borders of cities and jurisdiction,” Chattanooga Police Department Chief Steve Parks said. The chief said that is why he makes it a priority to help share information among agencies not only in Hamilton County but across the region.
Law enforcement jurisdictions often begin and end with city limits or a piece of land or building, and while state law authorizes certified officers to enforce the law anywhere in the state, department policies and memorandums of understandings among various agencies define where officers should work.
“The only downside is anytime you have that many agencies there’s information within those agencies that may not get out to the other law enforcement agencies,” Chief Parks said.
The Chattanooga Police Department is trying to acquire a $200,000 computer program, made possible under homeland security funding, that will allow officers across the region to search a database full of useful information, the chief said. Chief Parks said it is a “cop Google” of sorts.
In addition to the more than 700 officers who work for municipal police departments and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, there are dozens of gun-slinging, handcuff-carrying officers employed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Erlanger hospital, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Airport Authority and other entities.
All the officers are certified by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission after they satisfy training requirements.
“If you’re outside your jurisdiction and see some criminal activity taking place, normally they’re going to contact the local jurisdiction,” said John Welch, assistant director of the Tennessee Law Enforcement
Academy, one of nine academies in the state officers can attend to get their POST certification. He said officers outside their jurisdiction will take action before contacting the appropriate agency if they feel it is necessary.
Police across the county say they work with neighboring agencies daily to execute arrest warrants, apprehend suspects and even prevent crimes.
“We’re here for the same thing, and that’s to save lives and keep the peace,” said Red Bank Police Chief Larry Sneed. Red Bank is among the smaller police agencies in Hamilton County with 22 officers.
Earlier this year, an armed man barricaded himself in his home after allegedly assaulting a woman and kidnapping a child. Chief Sneed said Red Bank personnel called the Chattanooga SWAT team, which provided tactical assistance. The incident ended in the suspect being apprehended without incident, he said.
East Ridge Police Capt. Tim Mullinax said police there have the challenge of solving crimes across jurisdictions in Hamilton County and into Georgia.
“We’re only 20,000 (in population), but we’re surrounded by 170,000 in Chattanooga and the population in Fort Oglethorpe,” he said.
Police say that while they share the goal of ensuring public safety, their daily responsibilities vary.
The Tennessee and Federal bureaus of investigation have agents in Chattanooga who investigate state and federal crimes but also work with local police to prosecute cases.
A series of convenience store robberies in East Ridge, Chattanooga, Rossville and Catoosa County, Ga., prompted federal investigators to seek charges against three suspects, Capt. Mullinax said.
Tennessee Valley Authority police, who patrol nine properties in downtown Chattanooga and various other TVA sites in the area, also have the authority to enforce federal laws.
TVA Police Capt. Phillip Patterson said they are commissioned through the U.S. Department of Justice and enforce laws such as the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1984 that was designed to protect American Indian burial grounds and artifacts.
Domestic disputes keep smaller agencies including Red Bank busy, while airport police are more apt to cite people for parking violations, officials with those entities said.
Fire and Police Chief Randall Bowden, of Lookout Mountain, said officers there respond to a lot of false burglary alarms and assist residents in nonemergency situations.
“Nothing real major,” said the chief, who oversees 16 certified officers who are cross-trained as firefighters.
Do Hamilton County’s officers believe they should merge their policing operations?
Some, including Chattanooga’s Chief Parks, won’t give their opinions. East Ridge’s Capt. Mullinax said
he thought that city’s residents would not be happy if their police department merged with a larger agency.
“You don’t have the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve got a local person you can contact on a daily basis” under such an arrangement, he said.
E-mail Ginny LaRoe at glaroe@timesfreepress.com
