NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Big changes could be coming to downtown Nashville's safety plan as Metro Council prepares to vote on how a $15 million state grant will be used.
The resolution would set rules for Nashville’s share of the state’s Downtown Public Safety Grant through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) — an agreement between Metro government and the Nashville Downtown Partnership (NDP).
"What we're trying to do here is to keep the downtown area safe for tourists, for our residents that are visiting that area. It's really important," said Councilmember Jordan Huffman, one of the sponsors.
He says the Nashville Downtown Partnership will get the money no matter what the Council decides, but the MOU would lock in limits on how it can be spent and set compliance requirements. Without it, NDP could use the funds for a wider range of purposes allowed under state rules.
Where the Money Would Go
Under the funding plan, $9 million will go to Metro and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for downtown technology upgrades, equipment, and capital projects.
Technology upgrades: $150,000 to replace and update video‑only public safety cameras, $900,000 for noise‑detecting cameras to address vehicle noise and street racing, and $2.1 million to expand MNPD’s Community Safety Center, including a larger video wall to watch live camera feeds.
Equipment purchases: $415,000 for an armored rescue vehicle to carry MNPD SWAT during active events, $2 million for a new Mobile Command Post to manage large downtown events and emergencies, and $800,000 for a Tactical Support Post for SWAT coordination.
Capital projects: $2.7 million for brighter street lights and six new public restrooms with cleaning services.
The other $6 million would go to NDP operations — $2.5 million for startup and staffing, plus $3.5 million for expanding services like outreach to unhoused residents and adding more Safety Ambassadors in the downtown core. These outreach programs aim to connect people facing homelessness, mental health crises, or addiction with support services.
The MOU’s approved list also includes two surveillance software platforms — Leo Sight and Five Cast — along with the cameras, noise monitors, and video wall.
"So Leo Sight is something that ICE uses. It's something that border patrol uses. We see all this kind of federal overreach," said Nashville Organizer Stephen Watts.
The Debate and Concerns
Organizers compare the surveillance tools to Fusus, a system the city considered but later rejected.
"Nashvillians have already said no to a notion of safety that involves watching our every move," said concerned citizen Dahron Anneliese Johnson. "We want to be able to say no to it again, even when it shows up in different forms like this."
The Mayor's Office says no new cameras will be added downtown — only upgrades to the ones already there. They say the safety center NewsChannel5 Hannah McDonald visited last year already has a video wall, and the expansion would fill an unused section. They explain the noise cameras would be used for catching downtown street racers.
"This money allows for safety ambassadors throughout (downtown), improved lighting, mobile operating centers in the event that we've got an event going on downtown," Huffman said.
Huffman says, "the overall MOU does not add any police power." But organizers question why a private group like NDP — which can receive public funds — has no daily Metro oversight outside of specific agreements like the MOU and any future Council votes on donated funds.
"Refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ folks, black folks, brown folks, all of these people come here because of the vibrant, amazing place that we are, and yet security that's based on surveillance ends up targeting over and over again, just those very people," Johnson said.
NDP President and CEO Tom Turner said the group’s "core purpose is to make downtown Nashville the premier location in the Southeast in which to live, work, play and invest." "Now, we're able to make major investments in collaboration with state and local partners to improve existing infrastructure and technology, such as overt cameras, lighting and public restrooms, and also expand our outreach services for members of our community experiencing homelessness, mental health crises and addiction," Turner said.
The Nashville Community Safety Network, which opposes the resolution, released a statement questioning the process. "No one has seen the grant contract. The Mayor's Office calls concerns 'misinformation' while refusing to release the actual agreement—yet asks Council Members to sign an associated MOU on faith," the group said. They also asked why Metro is "helping funnel valuable public safety money to a private entity instead of applying for this as the city."
Huffman warned Nashville could lose tax dollars if there’s a major incident. "We are one incident away from having the money turn off in Nashville." The Metro Council will take up the resolution Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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