More than a dozen law officials gathered with residents Wednesday to discuss a growing angst in North Chattanooga that has led to community members banding together to stop break-ins and property from being stolen.
Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd, the meeting’s organizer, said that since June 1 there have been 14 burglaries and two home invasion robberies in North Chattanooga.
Those numbers aren’t “abnormal,” Dodd said after the meeting, adding communication lines between citizens propelled the string of crimes into the spotlight.
“The problem where it all came to a head is where you had a lot of people connected through neighborhood associations (and) e-mail systems, and they all started reporting it,” Dodd said.
The meeting, which took place at Normal Park Upper School, began with several officers and investigators explaining what they have done to stop the crime, naming those who’ve been arrested, and giving advice on what residents should to do prevent crime. Advice included putting identification numbers on expensive items, organizing neighborhood watch programs and purchasing alarm systems.