Internal Review Of MPD In Wake Of After Action Report

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At the direction of Chief of Police Karl Durr, an internal After Action Review Committee was formed to examine the arrests of several juveniles that occurred on April 15, 2016. The goal of the committee was to determine if the actions of our officers were in compliance with policies and procedures, identify any areas for improvement in the future, identify any policies, procedures or training issues needing review, and determine if internal communication channels functioned properly. The report has been finalized and made available for public inspection with portions redacted consistent with the fact there is a pending juvenile court proceedings.

The after-action report arises from arrests undertaken as a result of ten petitions issued by the Judicial Commissioner. The ages of the juveniles taken into custody during this investigation range from 9-years old to 12-years old. No juveniles under 9 years of age were arrested or taken into police custody as a result of this investigation.

The committee found that four juveniles taken into custody at Hobgood Elementary School, one juvenile was handcuffed and transported to Juvenile Detention and one was initially handcuffed but taken out of handcuffs prior to being placed into a police car. Two other juveniles were transported from the school and were not placed in handcuffs at any point. One of those juveniles was mistakenly transported to Juvenile Detention and was released immediately when it was discovered that no petition existed for this juvenile.

“Upon review of the After-Action Committee report, I remain committed to addressing all concerns and policy issues identified,” said Chief Durr. “This report is not the end of this investigation. The Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an internal affairs investigation regarding this incident. Accountability is key to maintaining public trust and confidence, and just as we are accountable to the community, our supervisors and officers are accountable to the policies of the agency.”

Metro Nashville Police will assist in the internal investigation and also provide a peer review once the investigation is complete.

Policies identified that may require revision include:
Handcuffing and Transporting Prisoners
Juvenile Operations
School Safety and Education Officers

A pastoral committee recently met to discuss suggested policy changes and input will continue to be collected as to what the best practices should be in regards to the identified policies. Additionally, sample policies from the International Association of Chiefs of Police will be considered when drafting the proposed changes. “Improved policies will be in place very quickly,” Durr continued. “We have, and will continue to involve the community in the decisions regarding policy development. We are committed to excellence and strive to be a model law enforcement agency in Tennessee.”