Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly announced plans Monday to continue increased police presence downtown and introduce other safety measures after the fatal shooting of a local businessman in late September.
Those measures include enhanced video surveillance for downtown businesses and the planned formation of a public safety commission, according to a news release from the mayor's office Monday. Wright, 38, was shot and killed near Patten Towers at the intersection of 11th and Market streets on Sept.
The man arrested in connection with his killing, year-old Darryl Roberts, has a long criminal history and was reportedly living at Patten Towers at the time, according to police. Kelly said he plans to meet with the owner of Patten Towers, which offers low-income, senior and disability-friendly rentals, to talk about how private security there can supplement the efforts of the Chattanooga Police Department, according to the release.
Belveron Real Estate Partners, which purchased the building in as part of its affordable housing portfolio, did not respond to a request for comment Monday. The private security framework should "protect the general public as well as the population of disabled and senior residents who require tailored protection against criminal elements," Kelly said.
He also planned to talk with Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp on Monday morning, he previously told the Chattanooga Times Free Press , to figure out how to collaborate on solutions to violence. Downtown Chattanooga, and the area around Patten Towers, will likely see more police and patrol cars, according to the mayor's initiative.
