Mayor O’Connell highlights improvements to crime, transportation during State of Metro address
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell gave his first State of the Metro address at the Fairgrounds.
During the address, O’Connell highlighted several areas of success for the city over the last few months for safety, transportation, schools, housing, and more.
During the speech, he declared the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is on pace to be fully staffed for the first time in years. The police department’s Partners in Care Program is also operating countywide in every precinct as of May 1, 2024. There have been 27,000 service calls since its launch.
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From January through April, violent crime numbers dropped 5.4% and gun thefts are down 35% year over year.
“We’ve revised our overall approach to public safety, adding community-based safety programs and refining traditional policing programs and it’s working. Through the end of April, homicide in our city is down 25.6% when compared with the first four months of 2023,” said O’Connell.
Metro’s Department of Emergency Communications is now in compliance for emergency calls for the first time in department history; 92% of 911 calls are now answered within 15 seconds.
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Another piece of his address highlighted the progress made for safer transportation across Music City.
Nearly a month ago, the mayor announced the Choose How You Move transit plan. On Tuesday, he announced the plan is now set to move to the next phase as the audit review for it is officially complete. The transportation initiative includes 86 miles of new sidewalk, new crosstown bus routes, and other key safety features among other potential changes. It was dependent on an audit review, and it’s now headed to Metro Council for a vote. If council approves it, voters will have the final say come November.
The mayor told News 2 he’s optimistic after meeting with council members.
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“We’ve had one on one conversations after my set of conversations with the entire Metro Council. We’ve now gone back and done a second set focused on transportation, focused on the impacts within their respective council districts, the city-wide approach, and so we’ve already had 36 follow up meetings, so I’m encouraged. I think I’ve heard a lot of good things from former colleagues on Metro Council, so fingers crossed that they like the program as much as everybody else seems to.”
The mayor also pointed to other transit accomplishments, including the upcoming June 18 opening of the North Nashville transit center.
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