July 29, 2024
Local leaders launch innovative alliance to create a safer Nashville
NASHVILLE — Business and community leaders announce the formation and launch of an innovative new organization, the Nashville Police + Public Safety Alliance. The Alliance aims to create a safer Nashville through initiatives that engage our community, businesses, and nonprofits to prevent crime, introduce innovation and best practices, and collaborate with police.
“To be a vibrant, prosperous, and enjoyable community in which people want to visit and live, Nashville must be safe,” Nashville Safety Alliance Founder and CEO Patricia Glaser Shea says. “Crime response belongs to Metro Nashville Police Department, but crime prevention and improving public safety is a community responsibility. The Nashville Safety Alliance’s autonomy empowers it to connect the community's voice with the MNPD to identify opportunities, find common ground, facilitate collaboration, and establish programs that will help improve public safety in our city.”
The Nashville Safety Alliance grew from discussions last year among business and community leaders interested in supporting our police department and elevating public safety in Nashville. Over several months, the founding committee conducted a research process that included in-depth interviews with policymakers, police organizations, business executives, public safety advocates, and other stakeholders and leaders locally and across the country.
The Nashville Safety Alliance’s founding committee looked closely at the “police foundation model” nationwide and decided its focus was limited. They believed Nashville would be better served by a community-driven organization focused on strategic alliances. The Nashville Safety Alliance is unique in its intention to engage community partners to work directly with MNPD to advance public safety.
“We are excited about the Alliance and the additional resources and opportunities it will bring to enhance partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, associations, and Nashville’s unique communities to elevate public safety,” Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake says. “A safer Nashville benefits all.”
In the months since its inception, the Nashville Alliance conducted foundational work such as establishing itself as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, hiring staff, raising funds, and developing governing policies and procedures to guide its work. The Alliance has now turned its attention to its research and data collection, which will form a baseline for understanding our residents' and the business community’s perceptions of and attitudes toward public safety and the police.
“Our research will influence our priorities. The findings will inform our first projects launched through the collaborative efforts of the police and community partners,” Shea says. “We believe in the power of collaboration and developing strategic partnerships based on shared goals. We Nashvillians can create relationships and build trust, allowing us to leverage combined expertise, experiences, and resources to drive better safety outcomes.”
Contact:
Brandon Gee — brandon@ingramgroup.com
Molly Sudderth — molly@ingramgroup.com