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Chattanooga is known for its natural beauty and outdoor culture, but like many other cities in America, struggles with violence on any given day. In 2021, Mayor Tim Kelly responded by forming the Office of Community Health (OCH) led by Dr. Geeta Maharaj as part of his One Chattanooga initiative. For those not familiar with the concept of One Chattanooga, it stems from the city mayor’s vision that every resident can thrive and prosper in Chattanooga. After taking a deeper look at crime and violence in the city, the mayor wanted more boots on the ground to address these issues and created the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention under the direction of Chris Sands.
The Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention utilizes robust programming and alliances with community partners to meet its goal of decreasing crime and violence through the use of prevention and intervention. In visiting with the members of the team, it’s clear to see it is more than a job; it’s a calling for all involved. Uniquely talented and extraordinarily dedicated individuals make up this impressively cohesive team, which is composed of victim service advocates, a community outreach coordinator, a public safety coordinator, a program manager, a community safety manager, a youth intervention specialist, and violence interrupters.
In developing a road map to ending violence through prevention and intervention, the team, in collaboration with other departments, initially canvassed the streets of Chattanooga for one year collecting data and making connections with communities. What they found was Chattanooga had a youth crime problem, so they started there. The “Every Child Initiative” was created to target youth aged 14-24 who are at risk for joining a gang or are already in a gang and work to deter them as much as they could through prevention.
The team recognized that to truly empower the at-risk communities, it had to look at the root causes of crime and violence. Acknowledging poverty, fatherlessness, untreated mental illness and illiteracy all played a role in the genesis of crime and violence, committee members started engaging with the youth through various means. Counseling, teaching conflict resolution techniques, speaking about the importance of empathy, understanding, and peaceful coexistence, reading workshops, peer-to-peer storytelling, grief sharing, skills training, job fairs and mentoring are all part of the tremendous programming offered to the youth of Chattanooga’s most disenfranchised areas. Relevant programming is the key to giving at-risk youth opportunities for learning and skills development to help them break free from the chains of poverty and illiteracy. Chains that keep them bound to their current circumstances and at risk for perpetuating the cycle of criminal behavior and violence.
The number of prevention programs and exposure opportunities offered by the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention are numerous and all encompassing. It’s impossible to list them all and do each justice. “Walk With a Student” and “Fist Bump Friday” are two of the programs offered. “Walk With a Student” pairs an adult with an at-risk youth who walk and talk for just one hour a week for 52 weeks, one-on-one, and may also include taking the youth on exposure trips such as touring a college campus or attending a business meeting. Some past participants have been gang members who had never been outside of urban Chattanooga. Success stories include individuals who joined the military, went to college or started a small business. “Walk With a Student” is a model of prevention programming that has been effective in drastically changing the perspective and narrative of the at-risk young population of Chattanooga. Since the inception of this program, homicide crime has decreased 52%.
“Fist Bump Friday’” is a type of storytelling program that takes place at Orchard Knob Middle School. It puts successful members of the community (council members, business owners, doctors, lawyers, etc.) all of different races, in front of students to share their stories. Truancy rates are the lowest on “Fist Bump Fridays,” indicating the youth are eager and hungry for this type of interaction and opportunities it may bring to them.
Regarding violence intervention, the department has victims’ service advocates (VSAs) for those who have suffered an act of violence. Functioning similar to a case manager, VSAs not only offer support but also connect the dots of all the available resources for victims of violence. Keeping their fingers on the heartbeat of the communities served also allows the VSAs to effectively meet the needs, but also allows any concerns of potential impending acts of violence to swiftly be shared with the team to identify and enact prevention strategies.
When it comes to addressing crime and violence reduction, Chattanooga is leading the nation with its use of a unique and unusual workforce: former felons, known as “violence interrupters.” The goal of violence interrupters is to do exactly what its name says: interrupt violence through prevention and intervention. Implemented in 2021 by the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, Chattanooga’s violence interveners have come to be known as the “423 Chain Breakers.”
The 423 Chain Breakers are a group of tremendously tenacious men who served time in federal penitentiaries, but rather than letting their past define them, they chose to return to their city and make a difference. These inspirational individuals have experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of violence, poverty, and a lack of education in disadvantaged communities. They were determined to put an end to this cycle and empower others to rise above their circumstances. What an ingenious way to address violence. Who better to have conversations with those who are about to make a bad decision than those who have already been there and done that.
The 423 Chain Breakers work in the most violent areas of Chattanooga known as Zone 3: East Chattanooga, Avondale and Bushtown. Since inception, the 423 Chain Breakers have reached out to and/or intervened with 5,352 individuals, both adults and youth. Over 2,784 students have been mentored at Washington Alternative School, Orchard Knob Middle School, East Ridge High School, Red Bank Middle and High Schools, Tyner Middle and High Schools, Brainerd High School and CADAS.
Crime and violence stats have started trending downward with the work of the 423 Chain Breakers. From January to May 31 of this year alone, crimes against persons are down 37%, crimes against property are down 60% and crimes against society are down 56%. Unfortunately, despite statistics showing the 423 Chain Breakers are having success in reducing crime and violence leading to a safer Chattanooga, it is only an experimental program for now. The goal is for the program to become a permanent part of the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention; however, that cannot happen unless it is a part of the city budget. Currently the program is funded with grant money, which is a year-to-year prospect. All involved are hopeful it will be a part of the city budget by 2026, the year the current grant funding expires.
Despite being a young department within city government, the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention has been received well and has become a credible resource for the Chattanooga Police Department, especially the 423 Chain Breakers. The Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention offers CPD another tool in the proverbial toolbox for addressing violence reduction through intervention and prevention. CPD is supportive of the Violence Interrupter program, developing a partnership with the 423 Chain Breakers to head off potential problems and keep at-risk youth from landing in jail or worse.
Breaking the chains of poverty, illiteracy and lack of opportunities in at-risk communities can only have a positive net gain for Chattanooga and the greater Hamilton County area when it comes to crime and violence reduction. Good things are taking place in Chattanooga by people wanting and willing to make a difference. Consider being a part of the solution by helping to make it and keep it safer. Volunteering, donating or championing the efforts of the 423 Chain Breakers are all great ways to help the cause.
It just takes one moment to change a life for the good, and as long as a person has hope, he or she will make it. The folks at the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention are doing a whole lot of good: offering hope, healing, love and opportunities. They truly are change makers!
To volunteer with the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, call: (423) 643-7800.
To make a financial donation to the 423 Chain Breakers, Send a check to the City of Chattanooga via City Hall, 101 E 11th St, Chattanooga, TN 37402 with “423 Chain Breakers” on memo line
by JD Harper
JD Harper is a local author. GLINT, her debut novel, is set in Chattanooga amid its rich Civil War history and rock climbing culture. You can email her at [email protected].
The Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention utilizes robust programming and alliances with community partners to meet its goal of decreasing crime and violence through the use of prevention and intervention. In visiting with the members of the team, it’s clear to see it is more than a job; it’s a calling for all involved. Uniquely talented and extraordinarily dedicated individuals make up this impressively cohesive team, which is composed of victim service advocates, a community outreach coordinator, a public safety coordinator, a program manager, a community safety manager, a youth intervention specialist, and violence interrupters.
In developing a road map to ending violence through prevention and intervention, the team, in collaboration with other departments, initially canvassed the streets of Chattanooga for one year collecting data and making connections with communities. What they found was Chattanooga had a youth crime problem, so they started there. The “Every Child Initiative” was created to target youth aged 14-24 who are at risk for joining a gang or are already in a gang and work to deter them as much as they could through prevention.
The team recognized that to truly empower the at-risk communities, it had to look at the root causes of crime and violence. Acknowledging poverty, fatherlessness, untreated mental illness and illiteracy all played a role in the genesis of crime and violence, committee members started engaging with the youth through various means. Counseling, teaching conflict resolution techniques, speaking about the importance of empathy, understanding, and peaceful coexistence, reading workshops, peer-to-peer storytelling, grief sharing, skills training, job fairs and mentoring are all part of the tremendous programming offered to the youth of Chattanooga’s most disenfranchised areas. Relevant programming is the key to giving at-risk youth opportunities for learning and skills development to help them break free from the chains of poverty and illiteracy. Chains that keep them bound to their current circumstances and at risk for perpetuating the cycle of criminal behavior and violence.
The number of prevention programs and exposure opportunities offered by the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention are numerous and all encompassing. It’s impossible to list them all and do each justice. “Walk With a Student” and “Fist Bump Friday” are two of the programs offered. “Walk With a Student” pairs an adult with an at-risk youth who walk and talk for just one hour a week for 52 weeks, one-on-one, and may also include taking the youth on exposure trips such as touring a college campus or attending a business meeting. Some past participants have been gang members who had never been outside of urban Chattanooga. Success stories include individuals who joined the military, went to college or started a small business. “Walk With a Student” is a model of prevention programming that has been effective in drastically changing the perspective and narrative of the at-risk young population of Chattanooga. Since the inception of this program, homicide crime has decreased 52%.
“Fist Bump Friday’” is a type of storytelling program that takes place at Orchard Knob Middle School. It puts successful members of the community (council members, business owners, doctors, lawyers, etc.) all of different races, in front of students to share their stories. Truancy rates are the lowest on “Fist Bump Fridays,” indicating the youth are eager and hungry for this type of interaction and opportunities it may bring to them.
Regarding violence intervention, the department has victims’ service advocates (VSAs) for those who have suffered an act of violence. Functioning similar to a case manager, VSAs not only offer support but also connect the dots of all the available resources for victims of violence. Keeping their fingers on the heartbeat of the communities served also allows the VSAs to effectively meet the needs, but also allows any concerns of potential impending acts of violence to swiftly be shared with the team to identify and enact prevention strategies.
When it comes to addressing crime and violence reduction, Chattanooga is leading the nation with its use of a unique and unusual workforce: former felons, known as “violence interrupters.” The goal of violence interrupters is to do exactly what its name says: interrupt violence through prevention and intervention. Implemented in 2021 by the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, Chattanooga’s violence interveners have come to be known as the “423 Chain Breakers.”
The 423 Chain Breakers are a group of tremendously tenacious men who served time in federal penitentiaries, but rather than letting their past define them, they chose to return to their city and make a difference. These inspirational individuals have experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of violence, poverty, and a lack of education in disadvantaged communities. They were determined to put an end to this cycle and empower others to rise above their circumstances. What an ingenious way to address violence. Who better to have conversations with those who are about to make a bad decision than those who have already been there and done that.
The 423 Chain Breakers work in the most violent areas of Chattanooga known as Zone 3: East Chattanooga, Avondale and Bushtown. Since inception, the 423 Chain Breakers have reached out to and/or intervened with 5,352 individuals, both adults and youth. Over 2,784 students have been mentored at Washington Alternative School, Orchard Knob Middle School, East Ridge High School, Red Bank Middle and High Schools, Tyner Middle and High Schools, Brainerd High School and CADAS.
Crime and violence stats have started trending downward with the work of the 423 Chain Breakers. From January to May 31 of this year alone, crimes against persons are down 37%, crimes against property are down 60% and crimes against society are down 56%. Unfortunately, despite statistics showing the 423 Chain Breakers are having success in reducing crime and violence leading to a safer Chattanooga, it is only an experimental program for now. The goal is for the program to become a permanent part of the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention; however, that cannot happen unless it is a part of the city budget. Currently the program is funded with grant money, which is a year-to-year prospect. All involved are hopeful it will be a part of the city budget by 2026, the year the current grant funding expires.
Despite being a young department within city government, the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention has been received well and has become a credible resource for the Chattanooga Police Department, especially the 423 Chain Breakers. The Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention offers CPD another tool in the proverbial toolbox for addressing violence reduction through intervention and prevention. CPD is supportive of the Violence Interrupter program, developing a partnership with the 423 Chain Breakers to head off potential problems and keep at-risk youth from landing in jail or worse.
Breaking the chains of poverty, illiteracy and lack of opportunities in at-risk communities can only have a positive net gain for Chattanooga and the greater Hamilton County area when it comes to crime and violence reduction. Good things are taking place in Chattanooga by people wanting and willing to make a difference. Consider being a part of the solution by helping to make it and keep it safer. Volunteering, donating or championing the efforts of the 423 Chain Breakers are all great ways to help the cause.
It just takes one moment to change a life for the good, and as long as a person has hope, he or she will make it. The folks at the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention are doing a whole lot of good: offering hope, healing, love and opportunities. They truly are change makers!
To volunteer with the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, call: (423) 643-7800.
To make a financial donation to the 423 Chain Breakers, Send a check to the City of Chattanooga via City Hall, 101 E 11th St, Chattanooga, TN 37402 with “423 Chain Breakers” on memo line
by JD Harper
JD Harper is a local author. GLINT, her debut novel, is set in Chattanooga amid its rich Civil War history and rock climbing culture. You can email her at [email protected].
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