Wilson County law enforcement representatives held a panel Tuesday about public safety in the county, moderated by County Mayor Randall Hutto.
Part 1 of Mayor Hutto鈥檚 Looking Into the Future series focused on public safety and law enforcement. Watertown Police Chief Mike Henderlight, Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan, Mt. Juliet Police Chief Michael Mullins, MJPD Deputy Chief Tyler Chandler and Lebanon Police Captain Tim Murray represented the agencies for the panel.
Lebanon Police Chief Mike Justice was unable to attend the panel.
Mayor Hutto said one reason for the panel is to get information to the public about how the county鈥檚 different agencies approach public safety.
鈥淪ometimes people are misinformed,鈥 Hutto said.
The law enforcement representatives discussed license plate readers, body cameras and other technology utilized by the departments to combat and prevent crime.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen things change drastically over my career,鈥 Sheriff Bryan said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l continue to evolve, they鈥檒l continue to change. The training will be better [and] different all the time.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 a calling to [become] a police officer, to work at emergency services, and then your family knows everyday when you go out, you may not come home,鈥 Hutto said.
Traffic throughout the county, especially on State Route 109, was discussed, with speeding being the primary focus.
鈥淲e鈥檝e stopped cars out there doing 85, 90 miles an hour. They lowered the speed limit鈥t鈥檚 a work in progress,鈥 Bryan said. 鈥淭he thing about 109 is there鈥檚 so many roads coming out onto 109.鈥
Smaller roads connect to SR 109 which increases the risk of collisions when speed is a factor.
鈥淎 lot of that traffic that鈥檚 on 109 is people coming out of Gallatin, people coming out of Hendersonville, and they鈥檙e coming through Wilson County to get to I-40 to avoid I-65 traffic or the I-24 traffic,鈥 MJPD Chief Mullins said.
Artificial Intelligence is utilized by the departments, especially for traffic flow. Signals at intersections have cameras and sensors to monitor and help control the flow of traffic, Chandler explained.
LPD Captain Murray said the signs which display the speed limit and the speed drivers are going record that data, which the department can pull to monitor speeding trends and determine when to place patrols.
License plate readers (LPRs) and public perception of them received a lengthy discussion during the panel. Each representative weighed in on their importance to solving crime.
Sheriff Bryan said despite public fears, which he described as unfounded, LPRs are a tool the county uses to combat crime effectively.
鈥淭he entire county is covered in LPRs,鈥 Bryan said. Entrances to the county, particularly at the Davidson County line, have LPRs set up.
Davidson County has not set up any LPRs.
鈥淲hat they鈥檙e not doing in Davidson County is directly affecting Wilson County,鈥 Bryan said.
鈥淣inety-five% of the people we arrest are not from Mt. Juliet,鈥 Chandler said. According to him, many of the people they arrest are from Nashville.
Body cameras are utilized by all the departments in the county. These record interactions between officers and the public. Cameras are also equipped to law enforcement vehicles.
鈥淏ody cams have brought police and community together with trust and transparency,鈥 LPD Captain Murray said.
鈥淐ameras not only protect the community, but also the officers,鈥 Sheriff Bryan added.
Sheriff Bryan said the Wilson County Jail works with inmates to prevent repeat offenses and incarcerations. Counseling and GED classes are offered. According to Bryan, Wilson County has one of the largest inmate GED rates in Tennessee.
Mayor Hutto said the next panel in April will focus on EMS and fire safety.
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