Professional Standards Division

Professional Standards Division

The Professional Standards Division ensures that the integrity of the department is maintained whereby objectivity, fairness, and justice are secured through impartial investigations and reviews. The Professional Standards Division is also designed to be a resource in all matters that may be required for the good of the department and the Community. It consists of the Office of Professional Accountability and the Critical Incident Review Team.

Office of Professional Accountability

The Office of Professional Accountability was created in February 2000 replacing the Internal Security Division. The Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum assisted in the creation of the office. The Office of Professional Accountability is responsible for:

• Classifying and reviewing all complaints made to the Office of Professional Accountability, directing all investigations, making recommendations regarding the disposition of cases, and ensuring consistency for proposed discipline.
• Evaluating the internal investigation process and making recommendations on strategies and policies to improve complaint gathering and investigative procedures.
• Building and maintaining community outreach programs to educate the public about the Office of Professional Accountability role in ensuring professional standards for police personnel.
• Working cooperatively with the Metro Nashville Community Review Board (MNCRB) for the good of the Department and the Community.

If you have questions or comments, you may contact the Office of Professional Accountability at 615-862-7317.

Critical Incident Review Team

The Critical Incident Review Team is responsible for:

• Minimizing risks and maximizing safety in future police operations through sharing lessons learned from our department’s (or other law enforcement agencies’) past and present experiences.
• Conducting examinations as directed by the Chief of Police regarding uses of deadly force or other high-risk police operations to dissect what was planned, what happened, why it happened, what was done well, and what could have been done differently to improve performance, both by the individual employee and the department.
• Assisting with policies, practices, and training formation while identifying any necessary changes to current policies, practices, and training, in order to obtain the most favorable outcomes to future incidents.

Related Information

How to make a complaint against police officers or civilian employees of the Metropolitan Police Department.

• Metro Nashville Police Department Manual Chapter on Discipline and Corrective Action
• Metropolitan Nashville Civil Service Rules and Policies
• Office of Professional Accountability Standard Operating Procedure

Annual Reports

• 2020 Office of Professional Accountability Annual Report
• 2021 Office of Professional Accountability Annual Report
• 2022 Office of Professional Accountability Annual Report