Chattanooga Police Department says Community Policing is Necessary

Chattanooga, Tenn. (WDEF) – Less than a week after the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, there has been a nationwide outcry for change, and most believe it all begins with community policing.

Now before Arkansas police officer, Tommy Norman, made the hashtag go viral, community policing began here in Chattanooga back in 1995. “In the way that we approached it was a program,” said Assistant Chief, Tracy Arnold, “It was very successful for what we are doing in this small area of town that we are working in.”

Arnold works for the Chattanooga Police Department, and said CPD started community policing as a program for just a small group of officers, which over time developed into a standard concept for the entire department.

“Several agencies around the country found that out, and so more and more agencies that became success at community policing started adopting the community police concept, rather than the program,” said Arnold.

Over the years, the concept has proven to be one of the best ways to reduce violence in our neighborhoods, while eliminating the fear of police brutality. “We feel like we cannot serve our community in the most effective way, unless we develop a relationship with them,” said Arnold.

According to officials, there is no way to track the exact number of crimes community policing has prevented, but say they can see the clear impact it has made for both our community, and the department.