TBI examines victims’ statistics
By Candice Combs Staff Writer
In Tennessee, more blacks than whites are murdered, but more whites are assaulted. Criminals embezzle more from men, but women are more likely to be the victims of fraud, according to a recent study.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report is a who’s who of state crime victims, according to local officials. It breaks down last year’s victims by race, gender and age so police can develop better crime prevention programs, officials said.
"Law enforcement is driven by information," said Chief Steve Parks of the Chattanooga Police Department. "With victim information known, we can always devise strategies for better response."
According to the report, 197 blacks were murdered in Tennessee in 2003 compared to 192 whites. However, 16,679 whites were attacked physically, while 11,966 blacks were assaulted.
Mostly women were kidnapped, and children under 18 years old were more likely to be sexually abused than any other age group, the statistics show. More men than women filed arson and burglary complaints in Tennessee.
Jan Ramsey, a victim and witness coordinator for the Hamilton County district attorney’s office, said anybody can be a target for crime. And, she said, victims feel violated regardless of the crime.
"I can tell you, all victims feel shock. They feel disbelief," Ms. Ramsey said. "They ask, ‘Why did this happen to us?’" Ms. Ramsey knows firsthand those emotions. She said her father, a Chattanooga insurance salesman, was beaten savagely and left in the back seat of his car on Sept. 24, 1996. "A t that point, I knew I wanted to do something to help people," Ms. Ramsey said. "If it fits, I try to share my story with other victims."
Sgt. Bobby Simpson, a crime prevention officer with the Chattanooga Police Department, said victim demographics can help police tailor educational programs for specific groups. When statistics show seniors are more likely targets for scams or women targets for kidnapping, police know what to talk about with which group, he said.
"Each area and each group is unique with what problems they face," Sgt. Simpson said.
Local law enforcement agencies and the district attorney’s office now offer programs for victims, no matter the crime, Ms. Ramsey said. Whether a person is the victim of a simple theft or a family member has been slain, local counselors work to gain victims monetary compensation and further treatment, she said.
"It’s like the Statue of Liberty here. We see a potpourri of everything and everybody," she said. "What we try to do is not focus on that, but focus on their pain and coping with that pain."
E-mail Candice Combs at ccombs@timesfreepress.com This story was published Friday, September 03, 2004
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