More people are calling the police, but fewer crimes were reported in the annual report from Chattanooga police Chief Freeman Cooper to the city.
Despite seeing nearly a 5 percent increase in calls for service, Chattanooga police saw a more than 1 percent decrease in part 1 crimes last year compared with 2008.
“Despite budget shortfalls and shortages in manpower we have proactively provided for the safety of our citizens in a professional manner,” Chief Cooper wrote in the introduction to the report.
Part 1 crimes are those reported to the FBI for statisical purposes and include: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft.
All crime categories in Part 1 reporting decreased except for burglary and robbery.
Reported burglaries and robberies both increased by 4 percent each in between 2008 and 2009.
Reported homicides were down by 5 percent and reported rapes decreased by 30 percent.
Auto thefts were 16 percent fewer last year than in 2008.
Over the last eight years overall crime is down 28 percent in Chattanooga, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.