NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A billboard paid for by Nashville's Fraternal Order of Police is calling out Mayor David Briley and District Attorney Glenn Funk to "do better" when it comes to supporting the police department.
The billboard, located on Murfreesboro Pike, across from the new police department headquarters, reads "The Metro Police Department is Always Hiring* - 108 officers understaffed! Employees are subject to the following working conditions: Mayor Briley's Broken Promises and District Attorney Funk's Political Agenda #DoBetter."
The billboard comes as the Metro Police Department and city officials celebrated the opening of the new police headquarters right across the street Thursday morning.
FOP President James Smallwood said the police department is understaffed, overworked, and underpaid.
"Employees of the Metro Police department don't feel like that have any support from the current administration and they feel like General Funk has a political agenda and today was our way of sending them a message that we're not going to take this anymore. Our police department officers are leaving in droves and we need to make a change in our course to make sure that we can stop that and recruit new members," Smallwood said.
Referring to the fatal officer-involved shooting case of Daniel Hambrick and former officer Andrew Delke, Smallwood said District Attorney Funk has a political agenda to advance himself and not get real justice.
"You've got a police officer who's been charged with murder for doing exactly what the city has asked him to do, for following his training to a tee and you've got experts testify to that in open court and we've a district attorney who's pursuing charges even though that officer did exactly what the city asked him to do," Smallwood said.
Addressing the billboard, Mayor Briley said he is working hard every day to make sure the city is in a position to provide for the police department.
"At the same time, I know they're working really hard, they're committed to making the city safe and I have great respect and admiration for everything the police department does and frankly what their union has to say is not going to have any impact on that. Folks do what they think is going to make a difference, if they'd ask me I would have said it has no difference in where the city is going but they're free to do whatever they like," Briley said.
Briley went onto say he's working with police chief Steve Anderson to look at a new starting pay for officers.
"We're going to look out for our police. We're going to find a way to compensate them at the appropriate amount and what their union has to do in terms of putting a billboard up has no impact on that, zero impact," Briley said.
This all comes as Police chief Steve Anderson released a statement earlier this month saying, "our city needs more officers."
The board will stay up until 7pm Thursday evening. Smallwood said the FOP paid about $600 for it.
District Attorney Glenn Funk released only this statement, saying “As always, I continue to respect, support, and appreciate the men and women of the Metro Nashville Police Department.”
