Metro Police increases presence in entertainment district
A new initiative will place additional officers downtown and in The Gulch on weekends.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - There will be an extra layer of security downtown and in The Gulch beginning Thursday night.
Metro Nashville Police is expanding its presence in the entertainment district as a part of a new initiative.
Every week from Thursday through Sunday night there will be a new unit of 28 officers, four sergeants, and a lieutenant in the downtown area.
MNPD Chief John Drake said now that Nashville’s nightlife is so popular, the new officers will help people have some extra piece of mind when they are out on the town.
“Downtown is just growing. Tourism is booming. It’s a destination city where people want to come, work, invest, and play,” Drake said during the first roll call for the Entertainment District Unit. “We wanted a dedicated resource to work the downtown corridor.”
Drake also gave his thoughts on Tyre Nichols after the Memphis man was beaten and killed by police officers there last month.
Drake said the way the Memphis officers acted was horrifying and reckless. He said he’s going to make sure the same thing never happens in Nashville.
“When an incident happens, whether it’s Minneapolis or Memphis or wherever, people tend to say ‘the police’ and everyone is the same when that’s not true,” Drake said. “We’re Nashville, and we’re going to do it the right way. We’re going to do it with integrity. We’re going to do it for the right reasons, the right time, even when no one’s looking.”
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