Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd

Chattanooga Mayor-elect Andy Berke

Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd will remain in his current position, Mayor Andy Berke said today.

"I have had numerous conversations with Chief Dodd over the last several weeks," Berke said in a news release. "I appreciate his dedication and experience in law enforcement and have asked him to continue to serve as Chief of Police."

Dodd said he looks forward to working with the mayor and his administration.

In addition, Berke outlined how he will begin to address crime issues in Chattanooga:

• He will form a public safety council to policing, prosecution, punishment and prevention. The group will be led by Berke and will include Dodd, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, U.S. Attorney Bill Killian, District Attorney Bill Cox, and Sheriff Jim Hammond. Other individuals could be added to the council at a later date and as appropriate.

• An "exhaustive study" of the police department will be done to evaluate and determine best practices, Berke said in a news release.

• An online Crime Scorecard will be developed to make crime data more readily available and measurable.

"These are just the first steps. Over the coming months we will roll out additional innovative approaches to address our number one priority - keeping Chattanoogans safe," Berke said in the release.