David CookTimeline of Chattanooga’s Violence Reduction Initiative
April 2013: Mayor-elect Andy Berke first pitches VRI to city July 2013: Berke marks 100 days in office, promises the city will see fewer shootings by 2014 December 2013: Berke pledges to bring VRI to Chattanooga March 2014: Police and city leaders hold the first call-in June 2014: Richard Bennett, the main contact for gang members in VRI, is arrested June 2014: City and police leaders cut ties with Bennett June 2014: The city asks for a new community partner to replace Bennett July 2014: City choses Hope for the Inner City as Bennett’s replacement August 2014: Police say 58 people have landed jobs through VRI September 2014: Two of three charges against Bennett are dropped October 2014: Police plan to expand the VRI effort to target non-gang members March 2015: Chattanooga agrees to rehire the National Network of Safer Communities May 2015: About a year after VRI’s start, gang-related homicides are up, overall gang violence is down September 2015: Chattanooga renews its contract with Hope for the Inner City October 2015: 11 of 12 Chattanoga police street crimes team members quit January 2015: A foundation pulls funding intended for VRI’s social services work November 2015: District Attorney Neal Pinkston says he won’t give VRI cases priority February 2016: City councilmembers question whether VRI is effective Source: Times Free Press archives
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Not that long ago, I witnessed a “call-in,” a signature event in the city’s Violence Reduction Initiative.
The evening felt heavy, like an intervention. Thirty gang members – invited via official white letters with gold seals from their parole officers – came that night. They were led one by one to the front rows of an annex room at Olivet Baptist Church, where 100 or more community members – from the streets to the mountains – waited in straight-backed chairs behind them, in complete silence.
Then the messaging began.
Public Safety Coordinator Paul Smith stood and spoke first. Then police Chief Fred Fletcher. Following them was a long line of Powerful People, all of whom said – repeatedly, clearly – the same thing.