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What Happened to Money for Chattanooga Juvenile Curfew Room?

473 views · Published 7 June 2012 · 2:07 · Indexed 8 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

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By Jerry Askin 

As we get into the hot summer months, that often means higher crime rates ...and with local teens out of school, juvenile crime becomes a bigger problem as well.Last week, we told you Mayor Ron Littlefield is asking city council to approve a grant that would get the city a dedicated gang intelligence officer. It's one of several moves being made to curb teen violence. That includes a special place at a Chattanooga Rec Center for kids who break curfew - But is it being used?It was supposed to be the city's answer to unsupervised minors causing problems in parks and downtown. But we asked questions today about what kind of impact the after-hours holding room has made-- the answers weren't so clear.Last summer, police sent out a warning to parents who didn't supervise their kids after hours."Parents are just dropping them off anywhere downtown for the business owners, the public at large or the police to babysit for them," says Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd in an interview last summer.Their plan was to give cops the ok to pick kids up and take them to the old police precinct beside the Southside Rec Center.The city council allocated about ,000 to renovate the space-- where parents could come and pick up their kids.But so far-- according to Parks and Rec, no changes have been made there.Why?  Because the space hasn't been used for those unattended juveniles - not a single time."It's just good to have it, just in case," says city councilwoman Pam Ladd.The city's Parks and Rec Department says their facility is open to kids that need a place to go -- but there is no specific spot or plan for minors that break the curfew rule-- past 11 on weekdays and midnight on Friday and Saturday. In fact when we recently asked the man charged with taking care of the city's gang problem if he knew about the Rec Center's space for unsupervised minors, he said, "I have no idea what your talking about," says Boyd Patterson, Gang Task Force Coordinator.But still, Chattanooga's residents say room or no room, something needs to  be changed."I think there should be some consequences for people who go against the rules, so I'm all for it," says Chattanooga resident Judie Job.Police have written several citations this summer to kids caught breaking curfew.

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