NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee State University is gearing up for its annual Homecoming Week, and thousands of visitors are expected to flood the campus for the festivities. As excitement builds, campus police are emphasizing safety, a top priority that recently earned the department a significant recognition.
TSU Police Chief Greg Robinson, a proud alumnus, never imagined he would one day lead the department that keeps his alma mater safe.
“When I was given the opportunity, I ran to take that chance,” Robinson said.
Chief Robinson has been at the helm of campus safety since 2016, overseeing a department of 25 officers. Recently, the TSU Police Department achieved accreditation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, a process that took three years to complete. It marks the first time in the department’s history that such a distinction has been achieved.
“We have to find unique ideas to continue to provide a safe environment,” Robinson explained. “The more police officers we can have in a serving capacity, the better it ensures us of minimizing victimization opportunities.”
The accreditation aligns TSU’s safety practices with the best standards in law enforcement. Robinson emphasized that the decision to pursue the recognition involved a willingness to be scrutinized by an external body.
“We were willing to volunteer ourselves to be scrutinized by an entity that held such a standard,” Robinson said. “But with the scrutiny, there became an opportunity to become better.”
Last year, the TSU Police Department reported a 20% reduction in crime. However, Robinson noted that thefts have risen slightly.
“We’re down on assaults. Up on thefts by two, and down on drug violations, which you traditionally see on college campuses,” he said.
Robinson credits the department’s increased visibility on campus as a key factor in reducing crime, pointing to new mobile cameras as a significant “force multiplier.”
“We’ve added a lot of mobile cameras on this campus,” Robinson said. “The blue lights over these cameras are tremendous in their coverage.”
The accreditation also positions TSU to qualify for more grants, which will support continued efforts to enhance campus safety.
“Grants are crucial to the success of your department, especially when you want to stand on the aspect of safety,” Robinson said.
Looking forward, Robinson remains committed to improving safety on campus and ensuring that the TSU Police Department continues to build on its recent success.
“We want to become happier stewards of TSU by being continual with this persistence of excellence,” Robinson said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimmy Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
