NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Rescue Mission serves people from all over Middle Tennessee who are experiencing a crisis.
The women's campus is in the growing Salemtown neighborhood. Every day, close to 350 women and kids find shelter there at night and resources during the day to rebuild their lives.
In January 2024, the shelter reopened at the corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Garfield Street after a major makeover.
But in the time since, neighbors said they've noticed something troubling.
A homeowner wrote to us that they have growing safety concerns.
"The past year since they have been open has been a complete nightmare. Recently, a woman staying there tried to get into my home, and one urinated on my property," she wrote:
We visited the homeowner at her property and agreed not to share her identity. She's had a lot of trespassers and doesn't want to start more trouble.
In just the last few weeks, she's caught someone smoking on her front porch, going to the bathroom behind her house, and punching numbers into her keypad. After speaking with managers at the Rescue Mission, she found out that many of her unwelcome guests came from the shelter.
"I think when the woman tried to get in my home, it really was a wake-up call for me that this is serious — that someone could get hurt," she said.
The homeowner moved into the neighborhood while the new women's campus was under construction. Before she bought her house in November of 2023, she talked to a neighbor about being close to the shelter.
"I was assured she hadn't encountered any type of issues. I was really excited to move in and make this my home and my community," she said.
She said a next-door neighbor assured her that the old campus had a security guard who roamed the neighborhood in a golf cart.
"Just to make sure everybody was safe," she said. "And that there wasn't anyone trespassing on properties. And I haven't seen that occur."
According to the Nashville Rescue Mission, there was someone who briefly acted as security beyond their property lines. However, that is not required.
Joy Flores, vice president of ministries at the Rescue Mission, has met with concerned neighbors many times.
"I definitely can see how frustrating it is when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis in the neighborhood," Flores said.
The Rescue Mission doesn't have traditional security guards. Instead, the entire staff is trained in de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and mental health first aid.
Right now, the biggest challenges they face are supporting those individuals struggling with mental health issues and those who are medically fragile.
"We have staff that not only do rounds in the building, but they patrol the parking lot and playground. But again, our jurisdiction is what we can control inside and on our property. And, so once you see those property lines, that pretty much stops," Flores said.
I talked to Metro Nashville Police about the situation.
Sgt. James Freeman, who is the community coordinator at North Precinct, shared that he has officers doing extra patrols in that area daily to serve as a visible deterrent since this has been an issue over the last year.
On behalf of several neighbors, the homeowner I spoke to said their area needs more attention.
"I can't imagine what these women are going through. I want them to get the support and resources they need, but my property is not a part of the mission, and I feel like I should feel safe on my own property," she said.
If it doesn't get better, residents might hire private security for the neighborhood.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
Fundraising efforts are underway in Brownsville and Nutbush, TN to build a statue for a major superstar who was raised there, Anna Mae Bullock. You probably know her by her stage name, Tina Turner. I was a huge fan of Tina and glad to see efforts are underway to showcase more of her ties to West Tennessee.
-Lelan Statom
