NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Governor Bill Lee met with law enforcement leaders, experts, members of the General Assembly and community leaders on Thursday to discuss ongoing changes in community law enforcement programs across the state.
The meeting was with the Law Enforcement Training Advisory Council, which was formed in July 2020 as part of a partnership between state departments to reform and improve law enforcement. It is tasked with reviewing use-of-force policies, improving information sharing across agencies and increase police training.
In September, they announced some recommendations to strengthen law enforcement agencies. Some of those recommendations included increasing minimum training hours to 488 hours as well additional training in officer wellness, community interaction, community immersion and de-escalation techniques.
“The policies that are being implemented from this group will ensure our law enforcement officials are effectively protecting and serving all Tennesseans," Lee said.
Since making those recommendations, 29 cadets have been trained for free through a program to help rural and disadvantaged communities.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission has also updated its rules, requiring every new officer receive at least 16 hours of training in the topics that the council suggested.
Many agencies across Tennesee have also started tracking officers' community involvement. Starting in 2022, officers will also receive in-service training credit for working with their communities outside of a law enforcement context.
“As we continue to see a wave of violent crime across the country, we are committed to providing law enforcement the tools and resources they need to keep our communities safe,” said Gov. Lee.