Liveliner I agree with you. The draft would be a great idea.
One thing that really pissed me off about this ongoing "gang study" is the statement by the co-chair saying that businesses need to "take a chance" and hire a gang thug. Really? In this economy, with my business along with everyone else, struggling just to pay the bills, we should hire thugs? First, thugs don't want to work. Second, the person waiting on customers represents me.....not the city, so the last thing I want is an idiot that can't pull his pants up or speak coherent English waiting on my hard earned customers! Do these gang study folks like in another universe?
The solution is to enforce the laws. Chattanooga has laws on the books about noise, yet these same thugs drive down the road, disturbing everyone with filthy rap lyrics, blasted all over the neighborhood. Nothing happens. They aren't pulled over and cited. (which the police KNOW would lead to an arrest) I recall when the white kids used to cruise Brainerd Road, the police were constantly stopping them and citing them for noise violations. We have laws about drugs, but pull into any supermarket parking lot and sit for 15 or 20 minutes and see how many deals go down around you. Same with the area I live in. There is a drug house that has been in operation for two years. Thugs pulling up, blowing the horn, someone runs to the car, hands something in, runs back to the house, the car pulls off. We've told the police more times than I can count; "hey here are the dealers". No arrests. Gangs of kids walking the streets at all hours. No arrests. Thugs hanging out on the corners or in parking lots. No arrests or even questions like "hey, what are you doing here"? You call the police about a thug hanging out, acting shady in the neighborhood, takes the police 30 to 45 mins to get there. He is gone, and no arrests or questions. When they DO get arrested, they are back on the streets in days even for MURDER. Seriously. The last couple of cases of murder in Chattanooga were with people that were on bail for ...........murder! I could go on and on.
Here is another thing too. All you folks that live out in the county that think you are immune, you are in a for rude awakening. It is spreading to rural areas. Pay attention to the people that are moving into your neighborhoods. It is coming.
