A Voice for Change
Coty Wamp, the first female district attorney general for the 11th Judicial District, recently spoke at a meeting of Neighbors for Gun Violence Prevention at Our Lady of the Mount Catholic Church. With a confident and down-to-earth demeanor, she opened the meeting by announcing she was a couple of years into her eight-year term. “I can speak anything with truth because I have no agenda,” she said. This statement was met with a nod of approval from the audience, who were impressed by her unwavering commitment to her mission.
Breaking Down Barriers
Coty is proud of several of her department’s recent accomplishments, including Jillian’s Law and the Chris Wright Act. The former was named after a young woman, Jillian Ludwig, who was killed by a stray bullet. Six months before, a judge had dismissed charges against a man who had shot into a car with two children inside. Her death revealed a loophole in Tennessee law, one that allowed people accused of crimes to walk free if they were ruled incompetent to stand trial. Republicans and Democrats came together to write Jillian’s Law, which requires defendants ruled incompetent to stand trial be committed to a mental health facility where they can receive treatment instead of being released back onto the street. In these cases, they must relinquish their rights to firearms.
- For example, in 2020, a man was ruled incompetent to stand trial due to mental health issues, and was released back onto the street, only to go on to commit another crime.
- Under Jillian’s Law, this man would have been committed to a mental health facility, where he would have received treatment and lost his right to firearms.
The Chris Wright Act is another significant achievement, named after a father of three who was shot in the head at close range by Daryl Roberts, a repeat criminal with 66 offenses. The Act ensures that after five misdemeanors, the sixth one is a felony, which removes any right of gun ownership. Coty said there was little objection by either party.
A Call to Action
Coty also addressed safe storage laws, saying that between 400 and 500 guns are stolen from automobiles each year. She emphasized the importance of safe storage, saying that a glove compartment is not safe storage, and that who can ever find a key to the glove compartment when they need it?
| Fact | Between 400 and 500 guns are stolen from automobiles each year. |
| Recommendation | We should require automobile manufacturers to install theft-proof storage in cars. |
Coty also talked about the Glock switch, a tiny piece of Lego-sized plastic that can be created with a 3D printer, making it a force to be dealt with: a force of terror. She explained that this device can be easily concealed and made of plastic, so it doesn’t set off alarms.
“I can speak anything with truth because I have no agenda,” said Coty. “Which makes sense. People who are incompetent to stand trial should not have access to firearms, right?”
A Commitment to Public Safety
Coty acknowledged that most gun violence in Chattanooga is gang-related one way or another. She said that she regrets that she doesn’t get to these kids on the front end, before they are interested in joining a gang or seeing them as their only option. “We need to interrupt this cycle on the front end, provide options before it’s too late,” she said.
Conclusion
Coty Wamp is a true leader, with a strong, sure voice and a commitment to making our city safer. Her message is clear: we need to take action to prevent gun violence, and we need to do it now.
