NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & SportsAudit Of Nashville's Crime Stats Delayed Again

By Phil Williams
Chief Investigative Reporter

An audit of how the Metro Nashville Police Department counts and reports crime has been delayed again, the city's independent auditor tells NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

In an email, Metropolitan Auditor Mark Swann said that "the audit report continues to be in the draft phase and is being reviewed by the MNPD."  Swann added that he expects that the final report will "hopefully" be issued sometime next month.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean requested the audit of Nashville crime statistics after a NewsChannel 5 investigation uncovered some crimes not being counted, while police exaggerated their success in solving crimes.

This past January, Metro police began reclassifying hundreds of sexual assault cases.  That came after NewsChannel 5 Investigates revealed that rapes had routinely been written off as "matters of record" -- a category that resulted in the incidents not being counted as crimes.

Last July, police ordered a review of burglary reports after NewsChannel 5 discovered burglaries being downgraded to vandalism.  One precinct commander told his subordinates that "the word going forward is to call these incidents what they are."

NewsChannel 5's year-long investigation also discovered:

• Police had routinely exaggerated their clearance rates.  One expert said, "It seems like they're fudging the stats."
• Response times skyrocketed, as officers were told that taking crime reports was no long a priority.
• Supervisors warned officers that they could face discipline if they did not increase their DUI arrest statistics. Soon afterwards, an innocent man was jailed for DUI.

Just as NewsChannel 5's first stories were set to air, longtime Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas resigned to take a new job in New Orleans.  Mayor Dean later appointed Serpas' number two, Steve Anderson, as Nashville's new police chief.

E-mail: pwilliams@newschannel5.com

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