Chattanooga leaders soon will consider new social service provider proposals for the Violence Reduction Initiative, the city’s flagship gang deterrent program.
The VRI, launched by Mayor Andy Berke and police Chief Fred Fletcher in March 2014, seeks to offer violent gang members a choice: leave the gangs and violence or suffer the consequences of heavy-handed justice. Since fall 2014, Hope for the Inner City has served as a taxpayer-funded gateway for gang members who want peace instead of violence.
Chattanooga City Councilman Larry Grohn listens to a presentation on the city’s wastewater infrastructure during an afternoon agenda session at the City Council building Tuesday, March 29, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The council voted Tuesday to withdraw its subpoena of District Attorney Neal Pinkston, which the council issued after Pinkston’s refusal to appear before the council to discuss the city’s violence reduction initiative.Although the city has the option to renew its $290,000 annual agreement with Hope For the Inner City for one more year, officials said the recent request for proposals does not mean dissatisfaction with the organization’s work.
Lacie Stone, spokeswoman for Mayor Berke, said in an email that it comes down to refining program scope and details.
“As you can imagine, two years of doing the work has allowed us to understand more of what we need and make the necessary mid-course corrections,” Stone said. “We are and should always be looking for ways to do things better, and that includes going through the RFP process to see what organizations and/or partnerships are interested in doing any city work. That said, Hope for the Inner City has done a great job over the last two years, and we hope they submit a proposal for this RFP as well.”