9 shot in Chattanooga

[Guest tommy62]

Here is the link to the news story. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrcbtv.com%2Fstory%2F16390772%2Fmultiple-people-shot-downtown-on-christmas-morning&h=vAQGahz4VAQEKRFctC7gV45dGqoTUrEi1oEJafA0SEvwvkg

Chattanooga is becomming more dangerous. 9 shot in the early hours of Christmas morning.

[Guest bkelm18]

Here's the link that doesn't take you through Facebook:

UPDATE 3: 9 people shot Downtown on Christmas morning - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

[Erik88]

For such a small city it sure does have a lot of crime.

[TN_Hiker]

Wow. What a way to begin Christmas. I tend to avoid Chattanooga unless there's a shop I need to visit for something or Riverbend. A perfect example of why to carry though.

If anyone gets anymore information please throw it up. I turned off cable TV years ago so I'm a little slower on getting news.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Dang!

Maybe teen night clubs are a bad idea? Some of the clubs that attract young crowds nowadays seem trouble magnets.

On the other hand, perhaps other clubs with a younger clientele are no more trouble than in the past. Years ago clubs with a young clientele didn't seem especially dangerous, though some bars have always been riskier than others.

Wonder if the club featuring the Christmas shootout was playing Rock or hip-hop?

I just don't go out at night any more except maybe Home Depot or Walmart.

[Guest chrisdridley]

For such a small city it sure does have a lot of crime.

Chattanooga is out of control. The Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County Sheriff department have become ineffectual it seems. This shooting occurred only 9 blocks from the Tennessee Aquarium in the heart of the downtown tourist and business area. My wife has an office only one block down and one block over from this location and it is impossible to walk down the street without getting panhandled and gang signs are everywhere.....again....this is in the tourist area....not in the "hood".

Just across the river, in the park where the Delta Queen is docked, ( again....tourist area ) there was a gang shootout a while back. Now when you go down to that area now, there are police cars parked around with officers in them but you never see them do anything. My wife and I were down there for dinner a while back and we were approached by someone who wanted money. We continued to walk and the guy grabbed my wife's arm. When he did, I beat the daylights out of the guy.....all in clear view of two police officers sitting in their cars. The officers never got out of their cars and we left the guy laying on the ground bleeding. As we walked past the police cars I shouted Thanks for the help and just kept walking.

I don't know if it is a case of the police have just given up or the fox guarding the chicken house but my wife can't walk down the street to get lunch without FOX spray in her hand and we won't go anywhere in Chattanooga without being armed.

Chattanooga is a beautiful city and I remember when it was such a nice place to work and play.....now it's just a ghetto with Gun Buster signs posted everywhere

[Il Duce]

Its not a a teen club thing. Fathom rents out the spot to people. This was an all black private party and it happened. Its the same thing every time something happens there.

[macville]

What's interesting is Club Fathom used to be (not sure now) a Christian music club. When I was in high school and college I went to many a concert there. Of course, the people exiting may not have been apart of either gang, just caught in the crossfire.

[strickj]

This made the Drudge Report

News from The Associated Press

In addition, one person was shot and a stabbing.

Dang!

Maybe teen night clubs are a bad idea? Some of the clubs that attract young crowds nowadays seem trouble magnets.

On the other hand, perhaps other clubs with a younger clientele are no more trouble than in the past. Years ago clubs with a young clientele didn't seem especially dangerous, though some bars have always been riskier than others.

Wonder if the club featuring the Christmas shootout was playing Rock or hip-hop?

I just don't go out at night any more except maybe Home Depot or Walmart.

Problem is, the city has been cracking down on clubs and hang-out spots in the shady areas for some time. Now all of those places have been shut down so the gangs are going downtown where all the tourists are.

We can think the piece of **** mayor and city council for this brilliant idea.

And to top it all of, we can not even carry in the parks downtown where a lot of this **** is happening. Another brilliant idea by the mayor.

[Jonnin]

Nevermind they cleaned up the story with some details and better english, it was awful this morning, borderline incomprehensible.

[Currently]

Are you talking about the same mayor littlefield that keeps insisting there is no gang problem in Chattanooga? The same one that keeps asking the police department to do more with less money ... while going on paid business junkets?

Is this the same mayor that wants to create a metropolis with all of Hamilton county and can't even manage the city he is responsible for running?

You don't say?

/sarcasm

[Guest chrisdridley]

The way I read the story, 9 were shot, 1 at the club and 8 at various other places. As in, 9 across the city, not 9 at the club, but the article was written in gibberish instead of english so it could go either way.

Per the Chattanooga Crime Report.....9 were shot at the Cherry Street incident, a different shooting took place at Poplar Springs Court, there was a stabbing in Middle Valley and another stabbing on 48th Street

[strickj]

Are you talking about the same mayor littlefield that keeps insisting there is no gang problem in Chattanooga? The same one that keeps asking the police department to do more with less money ... while going on paid business junkets?

Is this the same mayor that wants to create a metropolis with all of Hamilton county and can't even manage the city he is responsible for running?

You don't say?

/sarcasm

You can make fun of him all ya want. He will soon be your mayor too!

keeps asking the police department to do more with less money

On a humorous note, after the courts upheld the recall, a spokesman for CPD stated that SWAT will be on standby once the eviction notice is given.

Maybe if we're lucky, he'll refuse to leave the building and Swat will get to play

[Guest DeadEye]

Chatt put all expansion attempts on hold for a indefinate period since they dedcided Chatt cant provide proper services for Chatt much less any other areas!

Also heard of the New City of Hamilton which is in the Works?

[leroy]

This "chattanooga crime" thing interests me a bit. I've got family nearby. Why do you all think that the police are just standin around downtown?

That is a bit out of character for them based on history. Do you all think that the "crackdown" thing in the "shady areas" are really runnin the rif-raf downtown or is it, in fact, a gang thing? I used to travel into downtown chattanooga years ago, and didnt see much but the usual bums and a few drunks; but no militant thug kids. There have always been places in chattanooga (...and most other places too...) where folks shouldnt go, but they were mostly north of earlanger in the old days. What do ya think is really goin on?

leroy

[Currently]

This "chattanooga crime" thing interests me a bit. I've got family nearby. Why do you all think that the police are just standin around downtown?

That is a bit out of character for them based on history. Do you all think that the "crackdown" thing in the "shady areas" are really runnin the rif-raf downtown or is it, in fact, a gang thing? I used to travel into downtown chattanooga years ago, and didnt see much but the usual bums and a few drunks; but no militant thug kids. There have always been places in chattanooga (...and most other places too...) where folks shouldnt go, but they were mostly north of earlanger in the old days. What do ya think is really goin on?

leroy

Leadership ... or the lack there of. We have a mayor who has very poor leadership skills. He has consistantly alienated people and departments by pitting them against each other to accomplish his aims. He has surrounded himself with cronies that tell him what he wants to hear and marginalized anyone that goes against his "vision". While he accomplished some "victories" the costs incurred because of his methods of leadership far outweigh the benefits.

No one in the surrounding area wants to be a part of the Chattanooga Metro area because all we see is the increased taxes, fiscal mismanagement, high crime rate (which does not exist according to our leadership), marginal police resources, poor public infrastructure ... ad infinitum. There is very little to gain while paying a tax structure that is double if not triple of what we are paying right now.

This area's insistence that there is no gang problem sets the stage for denial and the re-allocation of resources to our mayor's pet projects. What we the public say or point out has no relevance ... we are clueless about priorities and existing issues. Since we (the rest of Hamilton County) do not want anything to do with Chattanooga, our mayor has taken it upon himself to take over areas by force and legal manuverings.

Why would we want to be a part of something that is consistently mismanaged and falling apart? Our current public resources are much better managed by our county and state leadership. They listen and respond ... unlike Chattanooga.

/soapbox

The crackdown thing is a hollow media ploy that brings visibility to his administration. It is hollow because of the "me vs. them" mentality. There is no team building going on as this solution requires empowering threats to his agenda.

We as a people can remove the power from gangs. That will never happen with this administration.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Currently

[strickj]

They are now reporting ten people have been shot downtown.

This "chattanooga crime" thing interests me a bit. I've got family nearby. Why do you all think that the police are just standin around downtown?

That is a bit out of character for them based on history. Do you all think that the "crackdown" thing in the "shady areas" are really runnin the rif-raf downtown or is it, in fact, a gang thing? I used to travel into downtown chattanooga years ago, and didnt see much but the usual bums and a few drunks; but no militant thug kids. There have always been places in chattanooga (...and most other places too...) where folks shouldnt go, but they were mostly north of earlanger in the old days. What do ya think is really goin on?

leroy

It's a number of things really. The city has "revitalized" several areas, like replacing the projects on 26th with "condos". Of course, when you kick out a few hundred crack heads and thugs, they will go to other areas.

They have recently decided to crack down on the other projects by kicking out problem tenants, gang members, drug dealers and the like. And again, once they're out, they have to go somewhere.

Then the crackdown on clubs I mentioned earlier.

The mayor thinks if they close down a problem club or "crack down" on a problem area that the problem will just go away. The problem does not just magically go away. The problem just moves.

What we are seeing right now with downtown is the move.

On top of all of that, the mayor has refused to admit there is a gang problem in the city. And since there's no problem, there needs to be no fix.

Good news, though. They have suspended the beer license of one of the clubs downtown and have posted gunbuster signs in the park.

And that plan to outfit the juvenile detention center to accommodate detained kids out past curfew has been put on hold for budget reasons. (Meanwhile, nearly 15 grand has recently been spent on travel for the mayor. )

[leroy]

current & strick:___________

Thanks for the info. I had forgotten about the territory around 26 ave. How are the voters takin to this mayor thing? I take it by what you all are sayin that things are pretty ratty everywhere except on the mountains (....signal and lookout...). How about the East Ridge, Bonny Oaks, and Hixon areas? Things used to be pretty calm in those areas. How are the downtown merchants and "real folks" that work downtown takin all this? As i remember, the old chattanooga police force used to be a pretty tough "law and order" bunch. Have they been neutered?

leroy

[Currently]

If neutered means:

This year has the first police academy class that graduated in a couple years ....

Forcing our police officers to pay to take their police cruisers home which had predictable results ...

Mayoral leadership marginalizing the police leadership in the media instead of supporting them ....

Yeah ... Littlefield neutered our PD. What you are seeing now is the results of his determined agenda. Why is Bobby Dodd in the media handling this? Why is Mayor Littlefield not at his side supporting Bobby Dodd? Is it possible they can't stand each other?

There is not a police officer in Chattanooga that has a good thing to say about Littlefield.

Yep, we have a great <team> running the city ... are you starting to see a pattern here?

[Currently]

We still have New Years Eve coming. When some out of town tourist gets killed as a result, you really believe Littlefield will be in the media admitting his part with this issue?

No, he will point out how much money he saved by having our police officers not take their cruisers home. We won't even get into gutting their pensions and other morale building exercises he came up with.

[Guest chrisdridley]

All Littlefield has to do is walk down Broad St from MLK to the riverfront and back to MLK up Market St. to find all the gang activity he can deny. I've worked in the worst parts of Houston TX, the worst parts of LA ( Crenshaw and East LA) and East St. Louis....I've seen and worked with gang members.....Chattanooga has a gang problem that is going unchecked.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a Gang Interruption Task Force working in Chattanooga with multiple law enforcement agencies being involved. Eleven arrest were made.....that's right....eleven. The gangs knew where and when....they knew who and what.....well before any LEOs rolled. The whole thing was a huge waste of money for the tax payers and a big joke to the gang members. There was an article in the Chattanooga paper a couple of months ago that listed the different gangs that were represented in the Silverdale lock-up. If memory serves me...it was 26 different gangs.

Like leroy said, Chattanooga PD used to be a "law and order" bunch, but now they have changed....lack of support and abuse from the city politicians, the poor reputation the force has been given by a very few bad apples, or just pure neglect...I don't know. Now Chattanooga is a place where we go because we have to, not because we want to.

[leroy]

Thanks for all the info. I just finished reading a bit of Littlefield's bio. It would appear (...to me at least...) that he has never had a "real job". Planning and givin advice aint the same thing as being responsible for things. We are seein a similar trend in knoxville city politics as well.

We have a former "community activist" turned republican (...think about that one a bit!!....) who has just been installed as mayor. I think that wherever you have a city run by "inner city" politics (.... i would count knoxville as about a 50/50 thing with the republicans generally getting their way....), you have the problem of electing life-long political operatives and bureaucrats that know how to game the system, and could care less about doing the "right thing". They are interested in governing and governing alone.

As the great John Westley Hardin was heard to say: "....When i walk into a room i see lots of enemies and no friends...". I know exactly how he feels when i go to the courthouse or city hall of any reasonable size metro type city or county in tennessee. It's a problem everywhere.

leroy

Edited December 27, 2011 by leroy

[Guest klwehunt]

Chattanooga is just getting like all the inner cities around the country with all of the free stuff that the feds and the states give to these kind of people they thank that they can get away with anything and the doj lets them.After all if we do anything to hurt thier feelings or punish them jesse or the reverend al will show up.

[EastHipster]

Bummer

I was born in Chattanooga (Erlanger) and lived on Bailey ave.

It's pretty rough over there now.

My family enjoys trips to Chattanooga...we tend to go once a year.

Last summer we stayed at Read House and did the Aquarium, IMAX etc...

Walking to the Read House at night wasn't cool...my 'spidey senses' were tingling like crazy

[strickj]

Correction: I said the projects on 26th earlier but it was the projects on 38th that were turned into crack condos.

current & strick:___________

Thanks for the info. I had forgotten about the territory around 26 ave. How are the voters takin to this mayor thing? I take it by what you all are sayin that things are pretty ratty everywhere except on the mountains (....signal and lookout...). How about the East Ridge, Bonny Oaks, and Hixon areas? Things used to be pretty calm in those areas. How are the downtown merchants and "real folks" that work downtown takin all this? As i remember, the old chattanooga police force used to be a pretty tough "law and order" bunch. Have they been neutered?

leroy

All of those areas are kinda spotty now. Even East Ridge, which has a long record of being Chattanooga's better half, is seeing their share of crime. I witnessed an attempted car jacking in front of that drive-thru mart sometime back. It happened around 2 or 3 0'clock on a weekday as I recall.