NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — The Hermitage Inn in the heart of Hermitage is facing mounting pressure from the local community, as concerns over increasing crime rates have led to an online petition seeking the declare the motel as a public nuisance.
Katrina Leach has lived in Hermitage for seven years. She spearheaded the call for action, expressing her growing concerns for the safety in her community.
Leach alleges the epicenter of the issues is coming from the Hermitage Inn, impacting not only the community but also nearby businesses.
“It's just reached a point that it's not okay anymore,” says Leach, highlighting issues including drug activity, prostitution, theft, domestic assaults and more.
Metro Nashville Police provided a 16-page list of calls to the Hermitage Inn in the current year alone. The list comprises over 425 calls, ranging from reports of suspicious persons to theft, fights, assaults, individuals with weapons, and various other incidents.
While the police acknowledge that some calls represent proactive policing measures and duplicates, the sheer volume of incidents has raised concerns within the community.
“Our police can only do so much with what they have. They are overworked, given the volume of calls in our area. Hermitage covers a huge territory. And so, we just, we've got to do something,” Leach said.
Taking matters into her own hands, Leach initiated an online petitionwith the aim of declaring the Hermitage Inn a public nuisance.
Leach says she will like for the business owners to stop taking cash, clean the place up, hire security and find a way to reduce calls to police.
If not, she’s willing to take the steps to get this business shutdown for the safety of her community. She spoke with the owners, if you want to hear more about her conversation you can watch the player above.
In response to these allegations, the owner of the Hermitage Inn affirmed that the motel has implemented security measures.
Speaking over the phone, the owner defended his commitment to both his business and the community, asserting that he is doing his best to address the concerns raised.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
