NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee lawmakers want a school resource officer in every school in the state.
Now a bill could give that decision-making to solely law enforcement — not a superintendent — to place an SRO in a school that doesn't have one. The bill's language said this could only happen if there is no memorandum of understanding between the school district and the lead law enforcement agency.
So far — this problem doesn't even exist in Tennessee. But that hasn't kept lawmakers from arguing about this bill every step of the way.
Bill sponsor Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, couldn't name a district and law enforcement agency this bill HB7023 would help. In committee meetings Wednesday, he thought it would apply to Nashville. He said Nashville leaders didn't ask for it or talk to the Davidson County delegation. However, Cepicky was provided documentation that Metro Nashville Public Schools and the Metro Nashville Police Department already have a memorandum of understanding, nullifying the primary aim of his bill.
"What areas don't have an MOU?" Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, said.
"I am assuming based on what Chairman Love told me in the previous committee that Nashville has one," Cepicky said. "So, I am not sure. They are working on it."
"You don't know, and you're bringing a bill to change state law?" Freeman asked.
"If a superintendent and law enforcement can't agree, it allows the chief law enforcement officer to place an SRO in those schools," Cepicky replied.
The law enforcement officer placed in the school wouldn't have to have training that other SROs go through in order to have placement in a school.
Right now, not all MNPS schools will have an SRO. Chief John Drake has iterated this is a manpower issue, not an issue of the notion he doesn't want all schools staffed with an SRO. The legislature gave millions of dollars to school districts to ensure SROs at every school in the state no matter the grade level.
MNPD requested at least $3.375 million to support SROs in the 45 public middle and high schools in Nashville that already have full-time SRO positions for the upcoming 2023-24 school year.
"We have 530 square miles in Davidson County, and with the level of our staff, we can't pull 70 officers away from the streets of Nashville," Drake said to NewsChannel 5 during the summer.
Every Metro Nashville high school and middle school will have at least one school resource officer dedicated to that campus every day, not every elementary school will. Drake said MNPD is looking near and far for people with experience in school safety and security. The chief said the department is actively recruiting school resource officers who work outside of Nashville.
In the event of a crisis, Nashville now has a new School Rapid Response Team. Fourteen officers will staff that specialized team, including Officer Rex Engelbert, one of the first officers on the scene of the deadly mass shooting at The Covenant School.
The bill the House passed in the finance committee could end up stopping in that chamber. The Tennessee Senate is adjourned until Monday and could pull the funding out of the appropriations legislation for the bill. It's not clear what will happen until next week.
