| Name | Joe |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Renner |
| Home Address | 3225 Brookside Drive Apt. 2 Cleveland, TN 37312 United States |
| Organization Name | Crime Stoppers of Chattanooga |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| Organization Address | 3410 Amnicola Highway Chattanooga, TN 37406 United States |
| Website | https://chattanooga.gov/police-department/crime-stoppers |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 4236412165 |
| Alternate Phone Number | |
| Email Address | joerenner1722@gmail.com |
| Alternate Email Address | jrenner1231@gmail.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | Crime stoppers of Chattanooga is dedicated to assisting local law enforcement agencies by providing citizens a safe place to give tips anonymously and, in return, receive up to $1,000 after an arrest is made. Since crimes affect families and the entire community, we are committed to raising awareness of our mission throughout the area, particularly among women and juveniles. Our grant request would support our out reach efforts, particularly with a media relations campaign, strengthened digital tactics and new community engagement methods. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Covid-19 impacted all areas of our lives, including our safety, with a marked increase in crime. This grant will provide Chattanooga with another tool to protect our neighbors, residents, and tourists. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press on July 14, 2021, "The Biden administration plans to: Stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence..., support local law enforcement..., and invest in evidence-based community violence interventions." The American Rescue Plan would assist Crime Stoppers meeting these goals. |
| Where would your project take place? | Throughout Hamilton County, with an emphasis on our youth and women. |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 50000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | August 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | This will be a two year campaign with a variety of tactics to reach our audience . |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Crime Stoppers can deliver tangible results as our organization assists in arrests, making our progress easily traced and transparent. The increase in tips will result in reductions in violence, gang activities and school suspensions, as we as a better relationship between the Police and the Community. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Transparency is the key to our success. The more the community knows about Crime Stoppers and how the reward system works, the more successful we will be. With more arrests, we'll have more data to share in terms of our accountability and project success. In addition, Crime Stoppers works in partnership wit the Chattanooga Police Department and Homicide Detective Sergeant Victor Miller. Sgt. Miller's assistance allows us to track statistics using the P3 program, offering another layer of transparency. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Our lives are heavily affected by the presence of violence or the lack thereof. Chattanooga is a tourist destination; no one wants to visit a city where they do not feel safe. Crime is damaging our economy and business growth. We have already experienced the closing of businesses because the theft cannot be absorbed by the company. Gang violence and black-markert guns are killing our youth or imprisioning them. Elderly citizens are frightened to live in their homes in some neighborhoods; others are concerned to drive in some parts of our city. Many of the offenders have multiple outstanding warrants. As citizens learn that Crime Stoppers provides a safe, anonymous place, plus a reward, to report information, these crimes will be solved and future crime will be reduced. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | This grant request is instrumental in elevating our outreach opportunities to educate the public about what Crime Stoppers and encourage them to have an active role in reducing crime. We will use this grant to implement a multi-faced communications plan that includes, but not limited to: -Coordinate neighborhood events to raise awareness of Crime Stoppers, particularly the promise of anonymity, and discuss strategies for crime reduction. -A robust, county-wide media relations campaign that includes the generation of on going press materials, coordination of on-air interviews on broadcast and radio shows, regular media updates on the efficacy of our program and other media opportunities. -Develop a Crime Stoppers website where community members may learn more about our mission and submit tips anonymously. -Explore paid advertising in news papers including the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Chattanooga News Chronicle, broadcast television and radio, as well as outdoor billboards. -Strengthen our social media presence and develop sponsored posts to reach our target audience of youth and females within Hamilton County; particularly targeting neighborhoods in which crime is most prevalent. - Design rack cards and other leave-behind materials in businesses and common areas in higher-crime neighborhoods. -Contact our city, county and state elected officials for their support of this initiative and allocation of resources, if possible. -Partner with area businesses, civic organizations and other like-minded groups to promote the mission of Crime Stoppers. |
| Name | Board of Directors for Crime Stoppers (A list of our members will be delivered to your office to go along with this submission" |
| Contact Information | |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | Crime Stoppers of Chattanooga was established in the 1980's by local businesses people who wanted to make Chattanooga a n appealing place to open a business and raise a family. As manufacturing began to leave the city, many of these same people worked to establish Chattanooga as a tourist destination. The current board is dedicated to continuing our founders' mission. But times have changed, and we need to change our approach to connect with the citizens, especially our youth who are disproportionately affected by the violence. |