Two of three city employees who regularly visited homeless encampments have resigned, and a third was reassigned, leaving city leadership to figure out how its staff fits into outreach efforts, according to Casey Tinker, who leads Chattanooga’s homeless initiatives.
Andy Ramirez and Ben Beatty resigned from their positions as homeless outreach coordinators – Ramirez in May and Beatty in April. According to Beatty’s resignation letter, obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, he left because he felt he was being asked to perform unethical tasks.
“The trusting relationships that we have cultivated with clients over the years are already almost completely out the window,” Beatty said in his letter. “We have now developed a reputation on the streets as being ‘snitches’ to police, and when people see us or hear us yell, ‘Outreach,’ they associate it with harming, not helping.”
The third employee, Dave Schaffer, has been moved to eviction prevention services rather than outreach work.