Joe Reed Makes Our Streets Safer - And Response

A lot has been said about Joe Reed these last few months and many people who don’t personally know him have different opinions. Joe is physically imposing standing 6’4" and consistently bench presses over 500 pounds on video. He will be quick to tell you about his past as a former gangster who was federally convicted of cocaine distribution many years ago and that he has since reformed.

When Joe was released from federal prison some people unfortunately turned their backs on him; however many others supported his dreams. Joe’s heart yearned to become a successful entrepreneur and businessman even though he didn’t have a formal support system. He is a passionate and charismatic people person who made an indelible impact in dozens of Chattanoogans’ lives. He is the father of several children and they are his first priority.

The catalyst for Joe’s evolution from hustler to humanitarian was not only due to his years confined in incarceration but from when Joe’s son was tragically murdered. The loss was devastating and at times overwhelming for Joe and his family, but he knew he must find a legal occupation, be a self reliant provider and put food on the table. The news as well as activists largely ignored the story of another young black male senselessly killed by gun violence as it doesn’t sell newspapers, gain advertisement revenue or increase online traffic but for Joe it was all he thought about.

The murder of his son was an epiphany for him that he needed to do all he could to stop the homicides by any means necessary as a way of honoring his son’s life and ensure that no other parent experiences the pain, suffering and grief that he feels every day. He misses his son tremendously and that is why he works relentlessly. Joe’s story is one of redemption. Getting to save lives is cathartic for him.

I built up a friendship with Joe Reed when I was campaigning for mayor. I was inspired by Joe’s huge smile, can do mantra and positive attitude. He was hungry to be a part of an altruistic grassroots movement. I knew that people on the street listened to and respected him; his personality was magnetic. We shared a common goal and that was holding killers accountable and protecting our city. Joe put his money where his mouth is and put up and publicized a $5,000 reward to catch the murderers of two innocent young female homicide victims in the Westside. One of the girls shot and killed was a minor. She was gunned down when her beautiful life was beginning. Joe and I both have daughters and felt called into action. Instead of catching fireflies our precious youth was catching stray bullets.

Killing civilians - especially women and children - violated the street code so we were able to encourage people to come forward with any information they had regarding several homicides if civilians or children were murdered. It was a tight line we walked between accountability and justice seeking while not losing street credibility.

When parents wanted their children to get out of gangs they called Joe. Joe would then attempt to negotiate the release of the kids from the gang with the gang leaders. When Brainerd High School was having numerous fights, threats and guns brought to school Brainerd’s beloved principal decided to bring in Joe Reed because Mr. Reed had a well-known reputation for intervening and stopping homicides and gang wars in the Scenic City. In other words, Joe got results when all other options had failed.

Joe Reed and I decided last summer to co-found a charity. We were appalled by kids being shot and killed in Chattanooga so we invested thousands of dollars out of our own pockets to do something about it. We launched a fully licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit called “Street Smarts”. We prevented numerous murders by offering support systems and financial incentives for people to do the right thing and put the guns down, not seek retribution that will land them behind bars and to have faith that we will help them with money if they are dealing with food insecurity and are destitute. Joe’s message got through to them that if they continue down the wrong path they will end up dead or in jail and it isn’t glamorous like some music and movies romanticize it.

We achieved all of this without any support from the local government who gave us empty promises or ignored our phone calls and online messages whereby we enthusiastically asked for synergistic bureaucratic cooperation. We were blessed with some private funding which helped us do more on a grander scale.

Joe’s background as a former gangster is great for actually reducing gun violence but some people hesitate to embrace that reality. Transparency is important and so is communication. Instead of rooting for our mission to fail we invite everyone to help find these killers who still remain at large. As the old saying goes “Everyone likes sausage, but no one likes to know how it's made.”

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