In the first of its 2010 State of the Chattanooga Region Report series, the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies Monday released an analysis of public safety in the region. The report, based on public data, data from state and local law enforcement sources and survey data, highlights conditions across the six-county metropolitan area. A 2010 survey of Hamilton County residents found that more Hamilton County residents (91%) identified “safety from crime” as very important to their quality of life than any other factor surveyed – repeating findings from similar surveys in 2006 and 2008.

David Eichenthal, president of the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies, said, “Over and over again, Hamilton County residents have pointed to crime as the most important factor in determining their quality of life. The good news is that according to FBI data, crime in the city of Chattanooga is down over the last five years. The bad news is that crime is up in other parts of the region, and Chattanooga continues to have one of the highest crime rates of U.S. cities with 100,000 or more people – eleventh in 2009, based on preliminary data for that year."

Between 2003 and 2008, violent crime decreased by 5% in Chattanooga and increased by 2.8% in the rest of the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Property crime declined by 1.7% in Chattanooga and increased by 4.6% in the rest of the MSA. While crime in Chattanooga is down, FBI Uniform Crime Report data from 2008 show that the city – which accounts for approximately one-third of the population in the metropolitan area – had 58% of the region’s property crime and 61% of violent crime.

Within Hamilton County, five subregions – out of a total of thirty-six – accounted for a disproportionate amount of crime. Ridgedale/Oak Grove/Clifton Hills, Bushtown/Highland Park, South Chattanooga, Downtown and Amnicola/East Chattanooga accounted for 14.2% of the county population, but 40% of robberies, 41% of aggravated assaults, 32% of simple assaults, 31% of burglaries and vandalism, and 40% of drug offenses. Other subregions have experienced increases in crime rates over the last five years, placing them in the top five highest crime rates for specific offenses: Dupont/Murray Hills and Woodmore/Dalewood for robbery; Brainerd for burglary; and Soddy-Daisy for drug offenses.

Mr. Eichenthal said, “When we talk about crime – and the response to crime – we shouldn’t just focus on the police, in Chattanooga or throughout the region. What happens to offenders after they are arrested is also an important issue. After all, out of over 18,000 arrests in Hamilton County last year, only 339 offenders went to prison. More offenders came home from prison to Hamilton County than went to prison in 2009. At the same time, a large portion of local jail beds are being used to incarcerate misdemeanants awaiting trial.”

Since 2006, arrests in Hamilton County have decreased by 16% to 18,068 in 2009. Ten offenses account for more than half of all arrests in Hamilton County: drug/narcotic violations, simple assault, shoplifting, DUI, family non-violent offenses, aggravated assault, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, bad checks and burglary.

People arrested were disproportionately men, African American and between the ages of 18 and 44. In 2009, among offenders going to prison from Hamilton County, most were men (89%), African American (53%) and between 25 and 44 years old (55%).

Victimization and population data suggest that African Americans and 18 to 44 year olds are overrepresented among crime victims in Hamilton County. A higher percentage of African American crime victims in Hamilton County are younger, when compared to white crime victims. Among African Americans, 58% of crime victims were 34 years old or younger, compared to 47% of white crime victims. Additionally, while African Americans represented 31% of all crime victims countywide, they represented 41% of all crime victims under the age of 18.

Benchmark data also show that other Tennessee cities – Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville – also had high crime rates when compared to other U.S. cities.

The State of the Region Public Safety Report is available at www.ochscenter.org/socrr_publicsafety.php. In a new feature on the Ochs Center website, users may now download data, which also allows for comparison from year to year and across county subregions.

The Ochs Center has released State of Chattanooga Region Reports in 2006 and 2008. Later this fall and winter, the Ochs Center will release reports on health, education, housing, the economy and demographics. The State of Chattanooga Region Report is funded through grants from the Benwood Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Lyndhurst Foundation and the United Way.

The report on public safety was written by Lori Quillen, policy analyst at the Ochs Center. Data collection and analysis was overseen by Dr. Eileen Robertson Rehberg, director of Data Analysis at the Ochs Center.