NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake is making efforts to bridge relationships between the police department and community organizations.
One of his first assignments as the permanent chief was signing the memorandum of understanding between the department and Nashville's Community Oversight Board.
"I established relationships with the COB, we've already signed the Memorandum of understanding. I signed my portion this morning, so all the signatures are there in waiting for the executive committee to sign," said Drake, "That builds trust and legitimacy that shows that we’re willing to work with an outside agency that the community supports and wants to oversee us."
In a media release on Monday, the COB said it's looking forward to working with Drake.
“Chief Drake has publicly acknowledged the importance of cooperation between the Board and the MNPD, emphasizing the duty we have as public servants to carry out the will of our community,” says COB Chair Andrés Martínez. “The Board is committed to building upon the already improved relations with MNPD since Chief Drake began serving in the interim, and will continue striving for increased accountability, transparency, and trust.”
This MOU will be an updated version to a previously approved one, which is a working agreement between the Board and MNPD that outlines specific guidelines on how the departments work together.
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COB says in his role as Interim Chief of Police, Drake promised to work through past points of tension with the Board, including disagreements over public records, crime scene access and poor communication.
