Nashville council members hear from law enforcement as they weigh police reform bills - The Tennessean

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Brinley Hineman Nashville Tennessean

Published 6:00 AM EDT Jul 17, 2020

Nashville council members heard from city police Thursday afternoon as they weighed a handful of police reform bills. 

Metro Nashville Police Department officers and the Public Safety Committee met virtually to discuss the bills before they are heard for second reading. The meeting allowed officers to share their perspective on the proposed policy changes. 

The move to consider reshaping police tactics comes amid a nationwide reckoning with law enforcement agencies after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Nashville's department has made a few changes to policies as part of the "8 Can't Wait" campaign that examined use of force tactics. A bill related to these policies introduced by Council member Colby Sledge will likely be substituted with another option after discussing the proposal with law enforcement. 

At Thursday's meeting, MNPD representatives largely defended their current policies that proposed bills were looking to reform. 

The bills discussed were mostly introduced by At-large Council member Sharon Hurt, who crafted a trio of bills that focus on officer and civilian engagement related to body-worn cameras, implicit bias training and hiring practices. 

One of the bills advanced would allow citizens to first question an officer if their body-worn camera was recording, to which officers would be required to respond, “The video is on. How may I serve you?”

Capt. Blain Whited voiced his concern about the bill's requirement that an officer would have to use such specific wording. He said the department is frequently complimented on how approachable MNPD officers are and that requiring such "robotic" language could escalate a situation. 

But Hurt views it as giving people "the opportunity not to be on the defense" when approached by law enforcement. 

“Here in Nashville, if we have the opportunity to tell you we’re recording you, it’s going to happen," Whited said of officers who already use body-worn cameras. 

Training, background checks 

Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Kay Lokey offered feedback on Hurt's bill about implicit bias training. Hurt wants officers to undergo annual training designed by the the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission specifically crafted to address biases. 

Lokey, who is an instructor at MNPD's academy, said that new officers receive 55 hours of training related to human relations with courses on implicit bias and fair policing, including a mobile course where they visit Play Dance Bar, go to a mosque and stop by Fisk University.

Part of the curriculum was designed by the Metro Human Relations Commission, she said.

When council members discussed including what officers are already doing in the bills as a way to clue in the public to current law enforcement policies, Lokey said the department's policies were transparent and located online.

“If you can help us reaffirm what you’re doing so we can get that information out to the community, I think we can start on this path of repair," said Council member Tanaka Vercher.

Hurt's final bill would order the department to refrain from hiring any officers who were previously fired or investigated for misconduct or use of force. 

Deputy Chief Damian Huggins said when they vet potential officers, part of their background check conducted by retired officers is to investigate their "moral character," which is open to interpretation by the department.

Huggins said Hurt's wording of the proposal is "vague" and could be "a broad area." 

What's next? 

The proposed bills will be heard on second reading at Tuesday's council meeting. 

A bill introduced by Council member Emily Benedict, which would outlaw the use of tear gas by law enforcement, is expected to be withdrawn. 

Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@tennessean.com and on Twitter @brinleyhineman.

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