13 Councilmembers Are Calling for the Removal of Police Chief Steve Anderson [Updated]

At least 13 Metro Councilmembers have signed on to a resolution calling on Mayor John Cooper to ask for the resignation of Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson. 

The nonbinding resolution, a draft copy of which was obtained by the Scene, cites Anderson’s response to the Gideon’s Army’s 2017 “Driving While Black” report, saying the report’s findings were not “meaningfully addressed” by the chief. It also highlights his resistance to cooperation with the Community Oversight Board as well as last week’s fiasco in which arrest warrants were issued for two prominent Black activists — the arrests were quickly recalled because the police department’s own evidence did not show them committing any crimes. 

Here is the text of the resolution as currently written:

WHEREAS, in recognition of Chief Steve Anderson’s 46 years of service to the Nashville community, we acknowledge the systemic reductions in violent crimes that have occurred during his tenure; and

WHEREAS, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, it has become clear that in order to save the lives of black men and women, police practices must change; and

WHEREAS, in order for police practices to change in Nashville and in order to build trust between the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and communities of color in Nashville, a change in leadership is essential; and

WHEREAS, Gideon’s Army’s “Driving While Black” Report, issued in 2017, concluded that there is evidence of racial bias in Nashville’s traffic stops and this conclusion was not meaningfully addressed by Chief Anderson; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, after Nashville voters approved the creation of a Community Oversight Board through a referendum, the Metro Nashville Police Department has never demonstrated a clear willingness to be a good faith participant in the oversight process; and

WHEREAS, on June 4, 2020, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department issued and quickly recalled warrants for the arrests of prominent Nashville activists Justin Jones and Jeneisha Harris; and

WHEREAS, these warrants were unjustly issued and this troubling event should cause Nashvillians to reflect on how our community is policed; and

WHEREAS, it is time for Mayor John Cooper to call for the resignation of Metropolitan Nashville Chief of Police Steve Anderson in order to create meaningful policy and behavioral change in the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

In response to an email seeking a comment from the chief on the resolution — which included the relevant text from the resolution — MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron sent this statement:

"Without addressing each of the lines in your email, Chief Anderson, along with the deputy chiefs, precinct commanders, supervisors and officers throughout the city remain committed to carrying out a public safety mission that protects Nashville’s families in all neighborhoods while, at the same time, building positive relationships in particularly underserved communities. Successes are happening, and the department wants to build on and build out those successes. Chief Anderson welcomes one on one dialogue with council members."

The mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The resolution has not been filed for consideration at tonight’s council meeting, but could be considered next week. It’s not yet clear who the lead sponsor will be, and more councilmembers could still sign on, but the members who have put their name on the resolution so far are: Freddie O’Connell; Sean Parker; Ginny Welsch; Dave Rosenberg; Kyonzté Toombs; Emily Benedict; Delishia Porterfield; Russ Bradford; Tom Cash; Sandra Sepulveda; Colby Sledge; Bob Mendes; Kathleen Murphy. After this story was published, District 8 Councilmember Nancy VanReece and At-Large Councilmember Zulfat Suara joined the resolution.

The chief has faced calls for his resignation before, but the volume of those calls has increased now amid historic nationwide protests against police brutality and racism. Anderson first became chief in 2010. Aside from the issues cited in the resolution, his tenure has also recently included two fatal shootings of Black men who were running away from officers: the 2017 shooting of Jocques Clemmons and the 2018 shooting of Daniel Hambrick. 

Metro officials have expressed frustration in recent years — in public statements and private complaints — that the chief is an obstacle to reform. Last week, Mendes told the Scene, "I don’t think the city can move forward on reinventing policing policies with Chief Anderson in place."