LOWERING GANG VIOLENCE IN

CHATTANOOGA

Kristin Estes
November 20, 2016
Repurposed Research Project

November 20, 2016

Jessica McCarthy
Lowering Gang Violence Director
615 McCallie Ave
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Dear Mr. McCarthy:
This report examines the problem of gang violence in the small city of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The effects of gang violence on the community and the threat to the quality of life, will be
discussed. Also discussed are strategies to lower gang violence and possible remedies to the
problem.
I hope you find this report satisfactory.

Sincerely yours,

Kristin Estes

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary.4
Introduction.5
Research Methods.6
Results.6
Conclusions7
Recommendations7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The project that I have been working on is the Lowering Gang Violence in Chattanooga
movement. This project a two month period, from September to today. Gang violence in
Chattanooga has become a threat to the quality of life. This project is to inform you of about the
status of the strategy set forth to lower gang violence. From September to the present time we
have completed the task of educating the community. There have been many presentations and
events for the community to bring a greater understanding of gang violence and its effect on the
community. The key points taught were how to recognize gang signs in your school,
neighborhood, and in your home. The biggest problem we have had was staff time and staff
levels to carry out these four major task. Another issue is community involvement. It is hard to
get the community to take interest and participate in helping reduce gang violence out of fear.
Although we are getting police to be involved they cannot be properly effective without the
communities help. Police can link with willing community groups to promote change. A
commitment by both sides is needed to make a meaningful long lasting impact on this problem
of gang violence. We are making good progress with carrying out the strategies to lower gang
violence in Chattanooga.

Introduction

Like many other cities in Tennessee, Chattanooga has been experiencing an ongoing problem
with gang related violence. People live in fear to the level that when stopped by the red light
while driving, they are afraid that they may be shot or caught in the cross fire. Psychological
problems are being created by the members of the gangs in Chattanooga by driving and shooting.
In a round-up in November of 2013, 32 men considered the worst of the worst were arrested. The
men, many gang member and affiliates, collectively were connected to 103 assaults, 14
attempted murders, 27 robberies, two murders, 160 drug offenses and 42 weapons-related
charges, and hundreds of lesser crimes. Still after the arrest of the 32 worst of the worst gang
violence and crime continued to go up. This tell us that there is a need to take a pre-emptive
measure against these gangs in order to decrease the violence. Chattanooga is a small
metropolitan community that many people would have never guessed to be dealing with gang
activity. In a many neighborhood gangs are wide spread and growing over the years. Hamilton
County Schools reported some level of gang activity taking place inside and outside of their
school. Peer pressure, friends being in gangs, and a desire for protection is a major motivation
for gang activity. Also a lack of parental involvement, few positive role models for many youth
are also an influence in gang activity. Parenting and the presence of positive role models make a
difference in whether a young person will be likely to get involved in a gang. Researchers are
largely in agreement on the reasons why youth join gangs. This issue is a serious problem that
drastically needs to be addressed so that the city of Chattanooga can continue to flourish in
tourist attractions.

Research Methods

The research in the lowering gang violence in Chattanooga process was to first find an answer to
questions such as: Why do youths join gangs? What methods can be taken to prevent youths
from joining a gang? And what steps can be taken to lower gang violence?

Results
Youths join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect, money, or because a friend is in a gang.
Youths are at higher risk of joining a gang if they engage in delinquent behaviors, are aggressive
or violent, experience multiple care-taker transitions, have many problems at school, associate
with other gang-involved youth, or live in communities where they feel unsafe and where many
youth are in trouble. A survey of nearly 6,000 eighth-graders conducted in 11 cities with known
gang problems found that 9 percent were currently gang members and 17 percent said they had
belonged to a gang at some point in their lives. Another important influence is family members,
especially siblings or cousins, who already are part of the gang. Parents ability to encourage
their childrens growth and development is also a reason why children join gangs. Families of
gang members most often show a lack of education, attitudes that condone violence inside and
outside the home, and child abuse or neglect.

Conclusion

To prevent youth from joining gangs, communities must strengthen families and schools,
improve community supervision, train teachers and parents to manage disruptive youth, and
teach students interpersonal skills. The key goals are to enhance public safety, reduce the crime
rate, and reduce gang related incidents per year. These goals will help to better the community
and strengthen economic development. It will also bolster tourism in Chattanooga.

Recommendation
Presentations and events for the community to bring a greater understanding of gang violence
and its effect on the community have proved to be very affective in spreading needed knowledge.
The key points taught were how to recognize gang signs in your school, neighborhood, and in
your home. Four major tasks to help lower gang violence will be progressively carries out from
now and into the future. We have law enforcement to help with: 1.Targeting Gang Hot spots.
Police will help to find the place where gangs are known to be. This will help to locate where
majority of the crime will take place; 2. Targeting Known Offenders. Locating known offenders
will help keep an eye on their activity and possibly limit their influence on the community;
3.Putting more officers in targeted gang areas. Once we locate hot spots and known offenders we
can put more police in those areas to ensure that the community can stay safe and stop potential
violence before it takes place; 4.Gang awareness for school teachers. Educating teachers can help
them to notice signs of gang involvement so that it can be reported and corrected.