Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, TN - File #: BL2023-1990

• File #: BL2023-1990
• Type: Bill (Ordinance)
• Status: Passed
• File created: 6/13/2023
• In control: Metropolitan Council
• On agenda: 7/18/2023
• Final action: 7/18/2023
• Title: An ordinance amending Title 2 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to reconstruct the community oversight board as a police advisory and review committee for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to fully comply with Public Chapter No. 454 of the Public Acts of 2023.
• Sponsors: Jeff Syracuse, Sharon Hurt, Delishia Porterfield, Zulfat Suara, Sean Parker, Bob Mendes, Colby Sledge, Tom Cash, Ginny Welsch, Burkley Allen, Emily Benedict, Jennifer Gamble, Angie Henderson, Russ Pulley, Kyonzte Toombs, Freddie OConnell, Antoinette Lee

Date	Action By	Action
7/21/2023	Mayor	approved
7/18/2023	Metropolitan Council	passed on third reading
7/6/2023	Metropolitan Council	passed on second reading as amended
7/6/2023	Metropolitan Council	amended
7/6/2023	Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections Committee	approved with amendments
7/6/2023	Public Health and Safety Committee	approved with amendments
6/20/2023	Metropolitan Council	passed on first reading
6/13/2023	Metropolitan Council	filed

title
An ordinance amending Title 2 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to reconstruct the community oversight board as a police advisory and review committee for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to fully comply with Public Chapter No. 454 of the Public Acts of 2023.

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WHEREAS, community advocates and groups such as the Nashville NAACP had been calling for a Community Oversight Board ("COB") for more than four decades; and

WHEREAS, community organizations renewed demands for a COB between September 2016 and February 2017; and

WHEREAS, after the fatal officer involved shooting of Jocques Clemmons on February 10, 2017, a coalition of community organizations (officially called "Community Oversight Now") was formed in March 2017 to collectively push for a COB; and

WHEREAS, dozens of community events were held across Nashville to educate the public on the need for a COB; and

WHEREAS, local legislative efforts supported by Community Oversight Now's coordinating committee in 2017 were not successful; and

WHEREAS, on April 4, 2018, Community Oversight Now launched a Charter Referendum Petition to put the COB decision in the hands of Nashville voters; and

WHEREAS, after the fatal officer involved shooting of Daniel Hambrick on July 26, 2018, the COB effort gained much needed momentum and a citizen petition driven Charter Amendment establishing Metro's Community Oversight Board was approved overwhelmingly by 134,371 Nashville voters in a referendum election on November 6, 2018; and

WHEREAS, the successful creation of the Community Oversight Board was the direct result of dedicated organizing efforts of Nashville activists and supporters who recognized the need for more accountability in policing; and

WHEREAS, Public Chapter No. 454, signed by the Governor on May 17, 2023, (the "Act") effectively reverses the will of Nashville voters by preempting any existing law, ordinance, or charter provision concerning a community oversight board; ...