Chattanooga United to Reduce Violence (CURV)

Based on data compiled as of 2024, one in 16 residents of Chattanooga stands the chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. With a violent crime rate 282% higher than the national average, the City of Chattanooga aims to build upon existing violence intervention and prevention efforts by proposing the project Chattanooga United to Reduce Violence (CURV). This initiative will bring stakeholders together to address violent crimes by using comprehensive, community-based, and resident response programming in high-crime, high-risk populations. This initiative is led by the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention (CSGVP), which defines and identifies high-risk populations by evaluating a community’s Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), which are commonly assessed by the following factors: healthcare access, education access, social and community context, economic stability, and neighborhood environmental factors. CSGVP uses a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach when focusing on zip codes that face more poverty, barriers to resource access, and consequently, more crime, especially amongst the age group of 14-25 residents. Current CVI efforts are being carried out in East Chattanooga, the highest priority intervention area by boots-on-the-ground violence interrupters. These violence interrupters are supported and trained by a multidisciplinary team that leads program development and execution, as well as addresses critical barriers to access by providing wraparound services and will use this funding will to expand to other zip codes.