Tennessee chapter of ACLU calls for Chief Anderson to resign
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NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is calling for Metro Nashville Police Department Chief Steve Anderson to resign.
The call comes a day after more than a dozen Metro Council members signed onto legislation urging Mayor John Cooper to ask for Anderson’s resignation. Anderson has been chief since former Mayor Karl Dean appointed him to the position in 2010.
In a news release, the ACLU-TN said the recent protests in Nashville, which drew crowds in the tens of thousands, “reflect Nashvillians’ long-held grievances against policing in Nashville and the low level of trust and confidence in the Metro Nashville Police Department, especially within Black and Brown communities.”
“Chief Anderson’s approach to policing raises serious concerns about his willingness to examine structural racism and participate in the conversation that is required to reimagine policing and public safety in Nashville,” the news release read. “ACLU-TN is committed to reimagining police culture, to justice, and to ensuring equal protection and treatment for all Metro Nashville residents, especially those communities that have been historically over-policed. For these reasons, ACLU-TN is compelled to request the resignation of Police Chief Steve Anderson. To be clear, the resignation of Chief Anderson alone will not end racist policing and the oppressive treatment of communities of color on which policing in America was founded. But it’s a first step.”
News4 reached out to spokespersons with Metro Police and Mayor Cooper’s office for a response. They did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ACLU-TN points to Anderson’s “dismissal” of the Driving While Black report from local grassroots organization Gideon’s Army that found black motorists in Nashville are stopped as a disproportionately high rate. That study, and Anderson’s response to its findings, was also included in the Metro Council resolution. The Council members say Anderson never “meaningfully addressed” the report.
Similar to the Council resolution, ACLU-TN highlights Anderson’s relationship with Nashville’s Community Oversight board, saying the department “refuses to collaborate with the COB.”
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.
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