NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday evening, several members of the Metro Council hope to provide updates regarding community safety.

A Community Safety Conversation is set for 6 p.m. at the Southeast Community Center in Antioch.

According to Metro Councilmember David Benton (District 28), the purpose of the meeting is to allow the community to share their primary concerns for their neighborhoods, learn more about the upcoming new Metro Nashville Police Precinct No. 9, and allow their local representatives to share where their priorities are.

"We're going to get a balanced feel for how they're going to coordinate together," Benton told News 2 of the balance of police work that will be shared between the current South Precinct and the soon-to-open precinct.

Representatives from MNPD will be on hand to explain how police plan to make the transition to the new police precinct insofar as patrol duties and emergency response.

"For the most part, we just need to give the community confidence that we have a plan—a very specific plan," Benton said. "There's going to be 80 new officers."

Having that new number of officers in the Antioch area will help reduce the strain on the current South precinct, which also currently serves the Hermitage area in addition to southeast Nashville.

"I think this is going to help answer that concern," Benton said of the meeting.

As for the questions most of his constituents have, Benton said both MNPD Chief John Drake and Davidson County Sheriff Darren Hall have assured him major crime numbers have been reduced in his district, and he hopes the concerns of those who attend tonight's meeting will be similarly assuaged.

Per Benton, the MNPD also wants to offer the community to learn what the new precinct commander will expect for enforcement in the area once the station is operational. One aspect will be the traffic division, Benton said, which will be headed by Capt. Williams out of the Southeast precinct.

He told News 2 he anticipates "a lot better behavior" of drivers, particularly along Murfreesboro Pike.

"There's going to be a lot of presence of the motorcycle police officers who enforce traffic, and I think you're going to see a lot better behavior from everyone," Benton said.

The meeting tonight will focus primarily on the Southeast side of Nashville, but Benton welcomed anyone in the city to attend if they choose.

"Whoever wants to come, come. We're glad to talk to everyone. We want everyone to be part of this and get a feel for what's happening. We really want to hear what do you want us to be focused on? That's important, too," Benton told News 2.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. The Southeast Community Center is located at 5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway in Antioch.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/southeast-nashville-meeting-offers-safety-updates/