NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police are significantly increasing traffic enforcement across the city, with stops, citations and arrests all up compared to last year — and a recent DUI case is highlighting just how dangerous the roads can be for officers working them.
On Tuesday night, investigators say James Rose swerved toward two marked patrol SUVs parked on the side of Neelys Bend Road, nearly hitting an officer before crashing into both vehicles. Police say Rose then drove away, abandoned his truck and ran into a wooded area before a K-9 team tracked him down. Officers say Rose appeared intoxicated and admitted he had been drinking.
Rose now faces charges including third-offense DUI, two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, evading arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving on a revoked license. He remains jailed on $48,000 bond.
Metro Police Captain James Williams, who oversees the traffic division, says incidents like this are becoming far too common.
"We have seen just in the past few weeks a lot of examples of officers out working on the streets and their cars are getting hit. Thankfully, there haven't been any serious injuries," Williams said.
Williams says those dangerous encounters are a driving force behind Metro Police's push to increase traffic enforcement citywide. So far this year, Metro officers have made 38,812 vehicle stops — a 24% increase compared to this time last year.
Citations are also up, with 14,408 issued — an 11.2% increase over the same period last year. Officers have issued 21,703 warnings, up 33%, and arrests from traffic stops — including misdemeanor citation arrests — have reached 2,701, a 37% jump from last year.
"I think one of the biggest differences is the enforcement that we're doing today is on those activities and driving behaviors that lead to crashes," Williams said.
Officers are focusing specifically on dangerous driving behaviors including speeding, impaired driving and following too closely — violations police say often lead to serious crashes.
While injury crashes are down slightly this year, property-damage crashes have increased. Heading into the fall, Metro Police say DUI enforcement will ramp up even further, with officers working impaired-driving initiatives seven nights a week.
"I think it's probably rare to find an officer now that hasn't had a close call, whether on the interstate or on a side road, even whether that's getting hit or getting close to being hit," Williams said.
Williams reflected on how long officers have faced these dangers on the road.
"It's disheartening. Just thinking back through my career and you know the advent of the move-over law and how that's been improved over the years, and we're still seeing these issues," Williams said.
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