Earlier today, Metropolitan Nashville Community Oversight (MNCO) was notified of a police officer involved shooting. Today’s police involved shooting marks three such occurrences in less than a month and MNPD’s lack of cooperation with the MNCO continues to be a glaring indictment of the issues that served as the initial catalyst for community oversight.
Following notification of the police involved shooting, MNCO Director Fitcheard and members of her leadership team arrived on scene where they were then directed to stand with the public and media. For over two hours Executive Director Fitcheard and members of her leadership team were not briefed or even acknowledged by MNPD. Unlike the total disregard shown to MNCO staff, the MNPD’s Office of Professional Accountability Director and her investigators were welcomed to access the scene by Metro Police as soon as they arrived.
The full involvement and engagement of the MNCO is not optional because transparency and trust between the Nashville community and MNPD is not optional. As these incidents are investigated and reviewed the Community Oversight Board (COB) is calling on Mayor Cooper and Chief Anderson to commit to ensuring that these processes are transparent, and that information is released as it becomes available.
Put simply, there cannot be another life lost while MNPD contemplates if they will cooperate with the COB. The community of Nashville has demanded that accountability, transparency, cooperation, and collaboration happen immediately from MNPD.
Regardless of the intentionality of efforts to deter the COB and its staff from carrying out its mission and purpose, they will not be successful because this Board represents the will of the people and it will never be hushed or stymied.
“As Chair of the COB, I am calling on the leadership of this city, specifically Mayor Cooper and Chief Anderson, to lead by ordering their team and personnel to adhere to the terms of the current MOU, and as a Board we are prepared to take any and all legal action to ensure that the safety and well-being of the Nashville community is served to the fullest,” says Board Chair Ashlee Davis.
To remedy any questions that exist related to the MOU, the COB requests that Mayor Cooper reconvene the MOU Negotiation Taskforce to address the issues that have become apparent. The COB and its staff have found that MNPD is less than forthcoming with information and continues to choose actions that deliberately slow down or misinform the MNCO.
“This is unacceptable, and I ask that Mayor Cooper issue a public announcement directing Chief Anderson and all MNPD to follow the guidelines of the MOU that we have agreed upon,” states Davis. “Anything less would lack the required tone and direction to ensure a positive change.”