NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Families in Antioch are on their way to having more peace of mind about public safety in the area. Metro Police will break ground Wednesday on the new Southeast Police Precinct.
It will drastically help response times in growing areas like Antioch.
City leaders believe it will add a renewed sense of public safety in the community because of how long police response times have become due to shared resources.
Council members Joy Styles, Tanaka Vercher and Delishia Porterfield have been pushing for the project for years and are excited to see the efforts finally paying off. The new precinct is located on Murfreesboro Pike, near Edge O' Lake Drive the old K-Mart was.
The goal is for it to be staffed with 45 new Metro Police officers when it's all finished. Styles said a brand new precinct, with a full staff is going to send not only an important message to families here and future homeowners, but to those causing the issues.
“More importantly it’s going to send a message to these people that are perpetuating these concerns," said Styles. "We don’t want you here, go wherever else you want to go. But this is not the area for you any further.”
She said the goal is for it to be completed within 18 to 24 months.
City leaders also believe that when it opens, having dozens of officers staffed to the specific area will deter people from causing ongoing crime. The new precinct will bring in more than 40 new officers part of Mayor Cooper’s proposed 2024 budget.
Styles said recently the biggest issue has been with drag racing as perpetrators have been shutting down intersections, knowing police response time is high. In turn, it causes a backup in resources so they’re unable to help elsewhere.
Another point Styles mentioned is that with the new Tanger Outlets opening this fall, a lot of people are going to be back in this area that maybe haven’t been in a long time. The additional officers will ensure that families and visitors will feel an added sense of safety.
She’s proud of the collaborative effort between multiple council members that noticed there was an issue and worked together to make sure something was done.
“It’s important when you’re working together on a cause, public safety is huge and constituents want to know their tax dollars are being put to good use. It’s difficult to tell someone 'yes you’ve been paying taxes, but we can’t get a service to you', she said.
