The proposal would set rules for Nashville’s share of the state’s downtown public safety grant through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) – an agreement between Metro Government and the Nashville Downtown Partnership (NDP).
Council Member Jordan Huffman, one of the sponsors, said, “What we’re trying to do here is keep the downtown area safe for tourists, for our residents who are visiting the area. It’s really important.”
He says no matter what the council decides, the Nashville Downtown Partnership will get the money, but the MOU will limit how it can be spent and set out compliance requirements. Without it, the NDP can use the funds for a broader range of purposes than allowed under state rules.
where will the money go
Under the funding plan, $9 million will be awarded to Metro and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for downtown technology upgrades, equipment and capital projects.
Technology upgrades: $150,000 to replace and update video-only public safety cameras, $900,000 for noise detection cameras to address vehicle noise and street racing, and $2.1 million to expand MNPD’s Community Safety Center, including a larger video wall to view live camera feeds.
Equipment purchases: $415,000 for an armored rescue vehicle to carry MNPD SWAT during active incidents, $2 million for a new mobile command post to manage large city incidents and emergencies, and $800,000 for a tactical support post to coordinate SWAT.
Capital Projects: $2.7 million for six new public restrooms with brighter street lights and cleaning services.
Another $6 million will go to NDP operations — $2.5 million for startup and staffing, plus $3.5 million to expand services such as outreach to non-domesticated residents and adding more safety ambassadors to the downtown core. The purpose of these outreach programs is to connect people experiencing homelessness, mental health crisis or addiction to support services.
The approved list of the MoU also includes two surveillance software platforms – Leo Sight and Five Cast – along with cameras, noise monitors and video walls.
“So the LEO site is a thing that ICE uses. It’s a thing that the Border Patrol uses. We see this kind of federal overreach,” said Nashville organizer Stephen Watts.
Debates and concerns
Organizers compared the monitoring devices to Fussus, a system the city considered but later rejected.
Concerned citizen Dahron Annelies Johnson said, “Nashvillians have already said no to the notion of security that involves having our every move monitored.” “We want to be able to say no to it again, even if it appears in such different forms.”
The mayor’s office says no new cameras will be added to the city — only cameras already in place will be upgraded. He says the security center that NewsChannel5 Hannah McDonald visited last year already has a video wall, and the expansion will fill an unused section. They explain that noise cameras will be used to catch street runners in the city.
“This money allows for safety ambassadors throughout the city, better lighting, mobile operating centers when we have to hold an event downtown,” Huffman said.
“There are no police powers included in the overall MOU,” says Huffman. But organizers question why a private group like the NDP – which can receive public money – has no daily Metro oversight outside of specific agreements such as the MOU and any future council votes on donated money.
“Refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ people, Black people, brown people, all of these people come here because of our vibrant, amazing place, and yet security based on surveillance targets the same people over and over again,” Johnson said.
NDP President and CEO Tom Turner said the group’s “core objective is to make downtown Nashville the premier place to live, work, play and invest in the Southeast.” “Now, we are able to make larger investments in collaboration with state and local partners to improve existing infrastructure and technology, such as open cameras, lighting and public restrooms, and also expand our outreach services to members of our community experiencing homelessness, mental health crisis and addiction,” Turner said.
The Nashville Community Safety Network, which opposes the proposal, issued a statement questioning the process. The group said, “No one has seen the grant contract. The mayor’s office has called the concerns ‘misinformation’ while refusing to release the actual agreement – yet asking council members to sign an associated MOU on trust.” He also asked why Metro was “helping to give away valuable public safety money to a private entity instead of applying for it as a city.”
Huffman warned that Nashville could lose tax dollars if a major incident occurred. “We’re one event away from the money stopping in Nashville.” Metro Council will consider the proposal on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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