Chattanooga has seen an uptick in armed robberies targeting members of the city’s Latino community, police department officials announced Tuesday.
Of the 34 armed robbery cases reported in January, 19 involved victims who were Latino, said Chattanooga Police Department spokesperson Jeremy Eames at a Tuesday news conference. Seventeen of those 19 took place in the Highland Park area.
“To those who would so cowardly victimize people they may see as an easy target, our robbery division has among the highest case clearance rates among the entire department,” Eames said. “You now have their undivided attention.”
The department has already begun to ramp up patrols in the Highland Park area and is having its investigative units aid the robbery division.
Police also intend to deploy more resources to the community in the future.
The department is reaching out to residents in the area and encouraging them to pay attention to their surroundings to determine if there is any suspicious activity.
So far, police have arrested two suspects and additional warrants are out, but officials said they cannot go into details about the ongoing cases.
Noting that there may be a hesitancy within the Latino community to reach out to the police, Eames told attendees of the news conference that the community has the department’s full support, adding that residents should report any crimes.
He also directed them to the department’s bilingual victim advocate Rebekah Jenkins, who can be reached directly at 423-643-5149.
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Sgt. Kendon Massengale, the supervisor of the department’s robbery unit, said during the news conference the Latino community’s hesitancy is mostly a cultural issue.
“In a lot of the countries they come from, police there are not the most trustworthy people,” he said. “So a lot of times when they come to this country they still have that fear and stigma.”
The department began noticing the uptick in crime in late December, Massengale said.
All of the robberies have been committed after 6 p.m., he said. The victims are typically those standing outside their homes or sitting in their vehicles in their driveway, he added.
“They’re being approached by these suspects on foot who produce guns,” Massengale said, adding suspects typically have vehicles to get away. “Some [victims] have been injured, taking their property by force.”
Despite the influx in robberies, Eames said there isn’t enough intelligence to determine whether there are patterns in the crimes and that the department avoids talking in absolutes.
Those wishing to report a crime or get assistance from the police can contact the department at 423-698-2525. The department also has a victim services unit that can be reached at 423-643-5000.
Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 814-319-5158. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.