Panelists at the second Stand crime meeting told the audience that to fight crime, those involved have to focus on details.
During the hour-long discussion at Bessie Smith Hall on Wednesday, about 100 audience members heard ideas from — and asked questions of — Dr. Helen Eigenberg, head of the criminal justice department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga police Lt. Brian Cotter and Bea Lurie, president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga.
The first Stand meeting, held earlier this month, focused on community perceptions of crime and the actual data of crime rates when compared.
After a survey of more than 26,000 area residents, Stand found that crime concerns topped the list of perceived problems in Chattanooga, which sparked a series of topic-based meetings, beginning with crime.