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Friday, November 13, 2026Nov 13

Voters think crime is getting worse in Chattanooga, but data says otherwise

Staff photo / A police officer walks toward a crime scene along Premium Drive on March 19, 2021 in Chattanooga.
Staff photo / A police officer walks toward a crime scene along Premium Drive on March 19, 2021 in Chattanooga.


A voter poll conducted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press this month found slightly more than half of Hamilton County voters feel crime is increasing in the area, while data shows overall violent crimes have decreased during the past year.

Fifty-two percent of voters surveyed said they believe crime in and around Chattanooga is getting worse overall, according to the poll.

But according to the Chattanooga Police Department, most crimes aside from theft and robbery have decreased since this time in 2021.

(READ MORE: Most Chattanooga voters think U.S. is headed in the wrong direction)