Tennessee experienced a 10-year high in violent crime in 2020, mirroring a trend that showed a sharp increase in homicides across the country, according to data from the FBI.
The data, made public Monday, reports Tennessee with a rate of 9.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, a figure outpacing the national average of 6.5 homicides per 100,000 residents.
It is the highest homicide rate in Tennessee since 1995.
The FBI data is collected through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which relies upon local law enforcement agencies to report data to the federal level.
The FBI data for Chattanooga tallied 33 homicides in 2020, the same number the city saw in 2019. The number is more than any other year in the past 10 years.