Though the city and the Chattanooga Police Department have successfully driven violent crime down, they could do a better job communicating that with the public, a study released Thursday found.
“CPD has, this report has argued, taken deliberate steps to curb violent crime in Chattanooga — and it has been successful,” the study said. “But local stakeholders often appear unaware of these steps, or of their success.”
The study, by conservative New York-based think tank Manhattan Institute, concluded that while the majority of Chattanoogans (based on a survey earlier this year) feel public safety is a major issue, data shows crime has largely improved in the city since spiking during the early years of the pandemic.
(READ MORE: Study: Crime down in Chattanooga, but residents don’t think so)
That perception could be caused by an increase in homelessness and what the study calls disorder — things like litter, vacant lots or graffiti — in the past few years, researcher Charles Lehman wrote in the report.