Council debates ordinance on reporting threats of mass violence; staff to add ‘notify emergency personnel’ language

The Chattanooga City Council debated an ordinance on Jan. 7 that would require anyone with knowledge of a threat of mass violence on city-owned property to report it promptly and to whom.

Council members raised practical questions about whom a member of the public should contact when they learn of a threat — whether the requirement to notify the mayor or a department head is realistic — and asked legal staff to revise the wording to make contacting emergency personnel the clear first step.

Why it matters: The proposed change affects how the public and city employees would be expected to respond to threats on city property, and it creates obligations for city departments to develop procedures to protect employees and visitors. Council members said clarity is essential because the ordinance carries potential penalties for noncompliance.

City legal staff proposed language to narrow Section C1 to require that “any person who has knowledge of a threat of mass violence on city-owned property or…