Police say downtown fracas shows need for teen activities
Chattanooga police say a downtown fight over the weekend shows that city, church and business leaders need more events in neighborhoods to keep teenagers closer to their homes.
Around 10 p.m. Saturday, according to a Chattanooga Police Department news release, a man stopped his car at 100 Market St. to let people cross the road. Another driver then rear-ended him, and the man got out. Then, according to the release, about 10 teenagers began to make fun of him.
The man, whose name was not released but was described by police as being in his 20s, yelled something back at the teenagers. They then punched, scratched, kicked and slapped the driver and his passenger. Police responded to a call about the fight, Lt. Jerri Sutton said, but by then the attackers were gone.
The victims received minor injuries and could only give investigators a vague description of the juveniles, who are believed to be 12-15 years old. Sutton said several other people saw the fight, and police are still trying to get a better description
of the teenagers. Anyone with information can call police at 423-698-2525.
But Sutton said the fight is a small part of a broader issue: Teenagers left downtown without any adult supervision. Kids flock to the area particularly during the summer, she said. The weather is warmer and, more importantly, they don’t have to worry about school in the morning.
On Saturday, according to a release, officers counted 200 unsupervised teenagers and arrested some of them for disorderly conduct, which was not related to the fight. Sutton said those figures were actually lower than average for a warm weekend night.
“Where there’s no structure, no supervision, there’s going to be chaos,” she said. “We’re trying to get away from that.”
Sutton said police want to partner with the city’s Department of Youth and Family Development this summer, hoping to create more events in neighborhoods around town. With more activities in the area, they hope, children and teenagers will stay closer to their homes.
She said the police also are interested in partnering with local churches and businesses that want to provide more events in neighborhoods.
Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Rob Philyaw said he often sees a stack of referrals for disorderly conduct charges near the Tennessee Aquarium when he arrives at work on Monday mornings. He said systemically lowering the number of unattended juveniles in the area is a challenge.
Youth and Family Development workers provide effective after-school programs, he said. But, historically, keeping tabs on teenagers after dark is difficult.
“This has been an ongoing situation,” he said. “Parents expect Buffalo Wild Wings to babysit young teenagers. And, of course, that’s not appropriate.”