TBI study shows uptick in hate crime, decline in campus crime

JACKSON, Tenn. — Two new reports from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation show an uptick in hate crimes in Tennessee and a decline in crime in schools.

The TBI report said crime in Tennessee schools dropped 15.6 percent from 2013 to 2015.

Rebecca Hutson, a school resource officer at North Side High School in Jackson, said building relationships with kids helps cut down on crime.

“You build the relationship to where if something does happen you can talk to them more than being in an enforcement role,” Hutson said.

The Jackson-Madison County School System said most larger campuses also have a safety plan in place. “If something were to occur, they know exactly what to do in that instance,” JMCSS Marketing and Public Relations Specialist Ginger Carver said.

The TBI said the month of April had the highest frequency of school crimes. “The largest percentage of school crime offenses occur between 12 p.m. and 2:59 p.m., so right after lunch to when kids are getting out of school,” TBI Public Information Officer Josh DeVine said.

The TBI said one area seeing an increase is hate crimes. The TBI said bias-motivated offenses increased 48.1 percent in 2015.

“We don’t know if this is actually a reflection of this type of crime happening more in Tennessee’s communities or if law enforcement agencies are just perhaps doing a better job of reporting it,” DeVine said.

Jackson police reported 13 offenses with an unknown bias last year, the seventh highest in the state, according to the TBI. The department said that number is inaccurate and that they did not have a single hate crime in 2015. Jackson police said they believe officers checked the unknown box in error because they did not know they could leave it blank.

Click here to read the TBI’s report on hate crime.

Click here to read the TBI’s report on school crime.