Mayor Freddie O'Connell is asking Nashvillians to pull up a chair and help rewrite how the city handles crime and safety, inviting residents to a slate of public meetings and task-force sessions as Metro finalizes its first-ever Community Safety Plan this spring. City officials say the effort will mix traditional policing with public-health strategies and a heavier dose of neighborhood input over the coming months.
According to WKRN, O'Connell on Tuesday urged residents from across Davidson County to attend the upcoming Community Safety Task Force sessions and hear how the draft plan could change safety work across the county. The invitation is part of a countywide push to deliver Metro's first Community Safety Plan this year.
The Community Safety Task Force was convened in January with 29 members and two co-chairs, Lonnell Matthews and Sue Fort-White, and is set to examine gun violence, mental-health resources, and other root causes of crime, according to the task force's January launch. Task force leaders say they expect to gather community input this spring and deliver recommendations to the mayor by the end of June.
When and where to go
The Metro Public Health Department's Community Safety Plan page lists public task-force meetings running from late March through June, including sessions on March 25, April 14, April 29, May 13, a virtual meeting on May 27, and a June 10 event. Locations named by the city include Proclamation Church, Bellevue Regional Community Center, Tennessee Justice Center, Lentz Public Health Center, and the Madison Branch Library, with each meeting aimed at collecting resident feedback to shape the final plan, per Nashville.gov.
Community reaction
The rollout has already drawn mixed reviews from organizers and advocates. The Black Alliance for Peace-Nashville issued a statement criticizing the task force's structure and calling for a more community-led, transparent process, according to Black Alliance for Peace. City officials and task-force members, meanwhile, have pitched the plan as a way to build on recent crime reductions by combining policing with prevention and services, a case that reporters at NewsChannel5 have documented.
How to weigh in
Residents who want to comment or attend can find the full schedule, sign-up information, and contact details on the Metro Public Health Department's Community Safety Plan page. For meeting times, locations, and community engagement options, visit Nashville.gov.
The process marks a noticeable shift toward a public-health approach to safety, aiming to connect youth programs, mental-health supports and other services with traditional law-enforcement efforts. Officials say early public input will help determine whether the plan becomes a long-term roadmap for preventing violence and improving residents' sense of safety across Davidson County.
