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Marty Penny

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A Tale of Three Cities: From A Cop's Point of View
Marty Penny  More Info

A Lamb of Sacrifice
Marty Penny  More Info

About the Chattanooga Police Department

On December 20, 1839, the Tennessee legislature passed "an act to establish the town of Chattanooga in the county of Hamilton, and to incorporate the inhabitants thereof." The names of Chattanooga’s early constables are not known, since the city’s records were destroyed by Union forces during the War Between the States, but it is known that constables were appointed by the city councils until 1852.

 

By 1851, Chattanooga had outgrown its primitive form of government and was a thriving community. The state legislature, feeling that the 1839 charter was no longer adequate to meet the needs of the growing city, passed a 2nd charter under the title of "An act to incorporate the city of Chattanooga, and for other purposes."

 

This act reorganized the city council and authorized the appointment of a city marshal to replace the town constable. Unlike constables, city marshals could hire assistants and term them "policemen" On January 5th, 1852, Thomas McMinn was appointed as the first city marshal of Chattanooga and a small number of "policemen" were appointed with him. The Chattanooga Police Department was born.

 

As of July 2002, the Chattanooga Police Department employed 439 sworn police officers, of which 313 were assigned to uniformed duties.  As of 2006, the Chattanooga Police Department has an authorized strength of 460 sworn police officers and 211 civilian personnel; and, a budget in excess of $40 million dollars.  The Chattanooga Police Department is organized into two major commands: Operations and, Administration and Support. 

 

The Operations Command is responsible for the Patrol Division, Investigative Division and the Special Operations Division.  The Administration and Support Command includes Administrative Services, Technical Services, Training and Personnel and, Operations Support.

Marty Penny’s law enforcement career began with the Soddy-Daisy Police Department (Tennessee).  He then joined the Red Bank Police Department (Tennessee).   Marty Penny then joined the Chattanooga Police Department (Tennessee) and after working uniformed patrol was promoted to detectives. Marty Penny is the author of two books: A Tale of Three Cities: From a Cop's Point of View and A Lamb of Sacrifice.

 

According to the book description of A Tale of Three Cities: From a Cop's Point of View, “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, there are men and women out on the streets who have chosen to take on the ne’er-do-wells of society. The incidents related in this book give an insight into the tragedies and triumphs, the horror and the satisfaction that comes with being a cop in America today. Come along as the author takes you on a ride through the streets of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and reveals a world that is very rarely seen by the average person. From dangerous high-speed pursuits to officer-involved shootings and the untimely deaths of fellow officers, being a cop is not always what it is cracked up to be”

 

Marty Penny’s second book, A Lamb of Sacrifice, “tells the story of a rookie Chattanooga cop who is arrested for First Degree Murder after a deadly shoot-out with members of a violent street gang, the East 13th Street Mafia Crips. The book centers around the rookie, Michael Lambrowski, and details the beginning of his law enforcement career after making the decision to leave the United States Army to pursue a more stable life for his family. It also gives an insight into the world and mentality of a street gang, light years apart from those of law-abiding citizens.”

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