By the numbers
2012 Shootings: 1032012 Homicides: 24 2013 Shootings: 123 2013 Homicides: 19 2014 Shootings: 111 2014 Homicides: 27 Source: Chattanooga Police Department
Chattanooga police on Tuesday touted the fact that there have been 12 fewer shootings in Chattanooga this year than last, even though homicides are at their highest level in 14 years.
The number of shootings fell from 123 last year to 111 this year, police said in a news release -- an almost 10 percent decrease. Homicides, on the other hand, jumped from 19 last year to 27 this year.
That's the highest number of homicides in the city since 2001, and a 42 percent increase over last year.
In the news release, which did not include homicide data, Mayor Andy Berke applauded the police department for the drop in shootings this year.
"Thanks to the hard work of our police officers as well as community efforts, we are seeing the shootings decrease in Chattanooga, and our goal is to see that trend line continue," Berke said.
Yet compared to 2012, Chattanooga is faring worse on all fronts: there were 103 shootings in the city and 24 homicide victims that year.
Mayor Andy Berke stands in front of an aerial image of Chattanooga, on the wall of his conference room in this Nov. 17, 2014, photo.Since 2001, homicides in Chattanooga have ranged from 11 in 2009 to the previous high of 26 in 2001, Times Free Press archives show. That was topped this year.
Additionally, gang-related homicides -- a key focus of Berke's Violence Reduction Initiative that launched this year -- also increased, from 12 last year to 15 this year.
Some community members have questioned whether the mayor's program is working to actually reduce violent gang crime on the street, but police and city leaders have repeatedly stood by the initiative.
Police said Tuesday that gang-related shootings did drop this year, from 83 in 2013 to 68 so far this year. Police Chief Fred Fletcher said in the release he hopes to bring the number of homicides down.
"We're confident that with a continued decrease in shootings, coupled with community policing, we will see our homicide rates decline as well," he said.
Contact staff reporter Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525.