NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — New efforts are underway in Tennessee to try to keep local communities safe by keeping guns out of the hands of those charged with violent crime.
It was announced this week. It's called Operation Bond Watch.
“Breaking cycles of violent gun crime by repeat offenders is essential to the safety of the Nashville community,” said Metro Police Chief John Drake. “Operation Bond Watch is an important tool in a system of checks and balances between a defendant’s arrest and ultimate adjudication of the case.
Under the initiative, if someone on bond for serious violent crimes is found with a firearm federal prosecutors will quickly seek charges against them.
Federal officials pointed to recent cases in Nashville that led to the push for the operation. In those cases, suspects accused of violent crimes were out on bond when they killed someone else. For example, in April 2024, a Nashville man out on bond for a 2021 murder was arrested on suspicion of committing another murder. Both cases are still pending.
“The goal is to keep the community safe from gun violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas Jaworski. “and to prevent those on bond while charged with murder and attempted murder from illegally carrying guns while awaiting their day in court.”
The initiative will add additional federal agents to keep tabs on violent offenders and make sure they're following the law until their day in court.
Operation Bond Watch is an initiative that has gathered support from local law enforcement and federal agencies like the ATF and the FBI. Click here for the full release on the new operation.
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