Councilwoman Coonrod Launches Effort To Try To Curb Violence In Chattanooga

City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod and other leaders from Chattanooga’s Black community held a press conference calling for steps to be taken to end violence within the community. Councilwoman Coonrod said non-profits and corporations can support programs that work to solve the issues within the community, and give young people other alternatives to violence and fighting.

 

“We want to provide them with additional options, other options, instead of committing crimes and shooting and killing people,” Councilwoman Coonrod said.

“They need the funding, because a lot of these programs are great, but can’t be active due to a lack of funding.”

 

She said she and other leaders have spoken to new city mayor Tim Kelly, and said he Is “on board” with reducing violence within the community and “giving young people an opportunity to thrive.”

 

“We have to deal with the trauma people deal with, and we can’t ignore that historically there has been a lack of opportunity and investment. We have to address that and eradicate these pockets of poverty,” Ms. Coonrod said. “We have to figure out the root cause and attack what that is. We’re talking about broken homes, people dealing with severe trauma.”

 

“It’s not enough to talk about equitable opportunities and racial justice, to use these words about inclusiveness and diversity, if you’re not going to do something about it.”

 

Councilman Anthony Byrd said his son was working at Coolidge Park on Sunday, which is when a shooting occurred in the afternoon. He said that responsibility also falls on parents to make sure their children are safe and in a nurturing environment.

 

“We have so many programs, and we can build a million different centers, but parents we need you to take your kids to these facilities,” Councilman Byrd said. “We need parents to reach out and demand that their child is going, and that their child isn’t just staying at home.”

 

“We don’t want to deploy more officers into our community where our people have fun. We are the police and protectors of our community. We have an obligation to stand up and want to do the work. But parents, please help us, because we can only do so much. You are in the homes, and if you call on us, we’ll show up to your homes and be there to help.”

 

County Commissioner Warren Mackey said he did not know who failed the children in the community, but said the community needs to step up to address the issues causing violence. He said $100,000 is spent every day on county jails, and asked if that money could be put into more preventative programs or measures.

 

“Can that money not be put into programs designed to keep these kids focused, so their futures are ensured?” Commissioner Mackey asked. “There is too high of a price being paid in lives, and this is not just a Chattanooga issue. It’s taking place all across this country, and something has to be done.”

 

Pastor Jeffrey Wilson from New United Baptist Church said that even if these shootings generally occur within specific areas of the city, this violence still affects parts like Signal Mountain and Hixson.

 

“Historically, there hasn’t been ‘One Chattanooga’ and I think that narrative has driven on for too long,” pastor Wilson said. “We’ve got to move past that. We have to have a dialogue, we have to talk to each other, not at each other. There’s a lot of misinformation, because a lot of people get their information about other racial and ethnic groups from social media, and you don’t learn the real story from that. We have to get to know one another.”

 

“We have a lot of meetings, and some people say it’s just another meeting. But we are committed to change, and we are all hurting and bothered by what goes on. It’s a cry for help as much as anything else.”