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Mayor, top law enforcement officials discuss juvenile crime
Mayor Karl Dean met Monday with a number of the city’s highest-ranking law enforcement officials for what his office said was an informal effort to bring the mayor up to speed on the crime and public safety issues that those leaders have been battling since long before Dean was sworn into office.
Following the meeting, Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said the relationship between public education and juvenile crime — which Dean placed at the very top of his election platform — hit home with Police Chief Ronal Serpas, who also attended.
“Chief Serpas shares Mayor Dean’s strong belief that education and ensuring that children are in school during school hours are essential components in the reduction of juvenile crime,” Aaron said on Monday night.
The mayor’s office — which made no public announcement regarding Monday’s meeting — confirmed that the meeting had taken place but downplayed it only as an informal lunch. Dean’s staff said the meeting was in keeping with Dean’s continued attempts at reaching out to Metro department heads and securing face time with other city leaders.
“The mayor did have lunch today with Police Chief Ronal Serpas, District Attorney Torry Johnson, Public Defender Ross Alderman and [Juvenile Court] Judge [Betty Adams] Green,” Dean spokeswoman Janel Lacy said. “But there wasn’t a formal agenda. They just had lunch.
“This is part of his commitment to having an open office and meeting with all of the department heads,” Lacy said.
Lacy said a number public safety issues were discussed, including juvenile crime in the city.
Curbing the rash of violent juvenile crime, which according to the Police Department is up nearly 100 percent from last year, has been identified as one of Serpas’ highest priorities.
Last month, the Metro Police noted that so far this year 30 percent of the individuals charged with murder and armed robbery in Nashville were juveniles.
Green, Johnson and others in the District Attorney’s Office who handle juvenile cases said they have seen increases in the number of cases that have to be transferred to adult court because the nature of the crimes are too severe to warrant detention and rehabilitation.
Lacy said she was unaware of any plans or policy initiatives that were born out of the talks.
“It was just a good meeting and they talked about public safety issues, juvenile crime being one of the issues,” she said.
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How could this have been a good meeting if nothing was accomplished?About time the Mayor started getting to the crime issue. Serpas how about getting the drugs and guns off the streets so when the little darlings get out of school they won't be out wheeling and dealing.
You people who dog Serpas could not do any better yourselves. Thank you chief for the job you are doing, just need more officers.
There are many in this town that could do better then he is doing and I will even go out on a limb and say you probably could if it was your job.Wear your uniform around all the time like he does and you can get into any sporting event in the city for free, that should appeal to /tempt you.
id, you are one the people who does not respect authority and just wants to complain all the time. It is easy to complain because you don't have to do any real thinking. I always try to look at the bright side, you should try that and you might feel better. Keep up the good work, chief!
Seriously though, Nashville does need to get tougher on criminals and the police need to be more aggressive to thwart crime before it ruins this city, just look to our west and see what the out of control thugs are doing to memphis.
I agree with Id. What most people do not understand is that "Respect is something earn," no handed out because of a type of clothing one wears,Serpas is a big "Stats Man," and if one expects respect then one must earn it. According to the FBI Nashville ranks the 7th worse city with the most violent crime in the US. With stats like that Serpas IMO gets no respect.Serpas is so respected, officers are quiting and very few applying for the job. If his own don't resp[ect him why should the residents?When I have watched hundreds of kids over the year be subjected to drug dealers, prostitution and shootings and the police after being called, MDHA being asked to remove, nothing is done by either. Has anyone ever heard Serpas say he is going to make "DRUG TRAFFICKING" and "ILLEGAL GUNS," his top priority? Keep in mind that drugs and shooting are what the majority of the calls are that come into dispatchers.SERPAS GET RESPECT? I say no, as in hellll no. He is a disgrace to law enforcement.
How about getting a police chief who is capable of doing instead of discussing?
"You people who dog Serpas could not do any better yourselves. Thank you chief for the job you are doing, just need more officers."I'd like to know why you think so, especially since most police chief/sheriffs in the country do a better job than Serpas, even if they're stoned most of the time.
Stop complaining, if you think he so bad, then do something about it. Do you know a "miracle" man that could jump right in there and stomp out crime. Most of you would complain no matter who the chief was.
They can start by enforcing birth control to people who are on public assistance. If you are getting money from the government for food and free housing, then you should be on birth control to receive those benefits. I don't think people without a four-year college degree should be allowed to have children. If you are NOT educated beyond high school, then do us all a favor and don't have kids.
NewYorker and I think a lot a like.
NewYorker, that is BS, my wife and I did not go to college and we raised two daughters and now they are grown and we have a grandson. We work for a living and have never needed help from the government. Think, before you type.
Darren Hall would be at the top of my list.Heard that woman precient commander is good too.
I agree, Badc: Fewer guns around mean fewer shootings, fewer woundings, fewer deaths. The drug problem is more complicated, because as long as drugs remain illegal, they will fester in low-income areas, since the poor have less to lose & more to gain by trafficking in illegal substances, and such traffic leads to more violence.What’s more important is the inverse relationship between education & crime. Provide better schools in the low-income parts of the county, and fewer juveniles will consider crime & good choice. Not just better schools, however, but also more social services, so that the children of the poor & disadvantaged have better, more consistent, home lives.NewY, as for your birth control idea: It wouldn’t work.
So the criminals obey all the gun laws, except the ones that say don’t use guns to rob/kill people? And lower income people have no values so they will deal in drugs and/or use drugs more? Sure wish I had such great insight into the poor like SOME posters here!!!!!!And then we for SURE need to give MORE money to “those in need” since it has helped so much in the last 50 years. What a great plan, give MORE to those that won’t make an effort, that won’t work to get what they need, but that complain when they have nothing!
We used to have the draft and every few years we had a war and we'd send the poor off to get splattered. But it was effective in reducing their numbers and allowed fewer of them to breed. Now w/ the volunteer army the poor are left here to stew in their own juices. The fermination leads to high crime, bad schools, etc..
Good of you to admit, BigPap, that wars are created by the haves to exploit the have-nots for the greater benefit of the haves. This occupation of Iraq is the same, just using "volunteers
Well then I guess that makes war okay, as long as it is the “rich” kids that get killed! And here I thought that war was bad, for everyone involved!!
some of you folks have no idea what discipline, family values or a good police chief is. The biggest problem we face in this city is a lack of caring parents & the explosion of new gang members that the lack of a family has caused .As far as serpas is concerned he has the funding for 90 plus new officers but he wont move to fill the slots & when he pulled our neighborhood patrols crime went up proportionately. We cant fire the chief, he has civil service protection but he could be demoted or reassigned
Tv8, I'd like to hear more about the neighborhood patrols. Where did you get your information about Ronal Serpas's pulling the patrols & the consequent surge in crime?
I think what many fail to recognize is that a lot of the “gang” activity is not native. Nashville is a “hub” city, and the gangs and other organized crime groups have figured that out. It will get worse!
"because as long as drugs remain illegal, they will fester in low-income areas, since the poor have less to lose & more to gain by trafficking in illegal substances, and such traffic leads to more violence." I dont think the latest drug round-up in Franklin was limited to low-income people and drug abuse is rampant in all income levels (think Brittney, Wmsn Cty Sheriff, actors, rock bands, RX abuse among Docs and nurses, etc..) The issue with violent crime is hopelessness and/or helplessness. Data is showing that overall crime in this city is down since Serpas dug in-it is juvenile crime that has sky-rocketed. You can whine about their lack of parenting or you can take action by volunteering as a mentor or big brother/sister or giving to the many local non-profits who are doing their best to try to help give hope to these young folks in society....or keep whining and see how far that gets us all.....
Now classof80, you cannot question MJB! If you disagree with her, you cannot be reasoned with and will be put on the “list”! Step lightly!!!
Class80, I agree that there are members of all classes, all elements of society, using illegal drugs, but drug TRAFFICKING is more often centered amid the poor & disadvantaged, as is drug abuse.I commend you for volunteering. Nashville & Tennessee could also use more public funds to help the children of the disadvantaged.
They should put every individual who makes less than 100K per year on a ship and ship them out into the middle of the ocean and then blow the ship up and keep doing that until all of them are gone. That will cut down on this "disadvantaged" crime wave. I'm sick of it. Oh well, I'm still beautiful and that all that really matters.
Why they let NewYorker post here, is beyond me.
Comic relief! I mean really, MJB is such a killjoy they gotta let some funny in!
Recall free speech, Titan: Free speech is a good reminder of all the tasks education still has. Look at the vicious, childish, bigoted, ignorant idiocy we see here. It's a reminder of the work to do, but we must also recall that most people are not vicious, childish, bigoted, ignorant idiots.Free & open expression, Titan. Gotta love it to fight the regressive tendencies in, say, our secretive, corrupt, mendacious White House.
I don't think hoping for a cop killing(awhile back)and now blowing people up who aren't as fortunate as others is comic relief, it's tasteless whether serious or not.
I just LOVE IT when she is so poetic!
I love you Titan1. Lets make a baby.
Wars are generally fought over land and resources, very few fought for real "ideas" The side benefit is that they are a good way to clear out the riff raff, cull the heard. While I may lean conservative, i am no big fan of Bush or the Iraq war. I never saw why after 9/11 we suddenly had to bomb iraq. That lines were never connected to me.
By: tv8527 on 11/27/07 As far as serpas is concerned he has the funding for 90 plus new officers but he wont move to fill the slots *****************************To be fair is it that he won't or can't because of the low un-employment rate?If I was that short and getting shorter with retirements I would be looking for a waiver to put at least 2 classes of High School grads on.
Titan, you learn a great deal about people who find such remarks funny.As for wars, BigPap, you are incorrect: the Vietnam War didn't take either Bush or Cheney, leaving them to create murderous mischief decades later.
One learns a great deal about being pompous here also!!!!