Clarksville receives Municipal League award for Excellence in Police Services
To combat increasing violent crime and improve services, the Clarksville Police Department has implemented new programs aimed at the city’s youth, mental health services, and in-house health and wellness to better help officers serve the public.
In recognition of the concerted efforts made by the Clarksville Police Department, the Tennessee Municipal League is pleased to present Clarksville with an award for Excellence in Police Services. The award will be presented Tuesday, July 25, at the 83rd Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
Under the professional leadership of Clarksville Police Chief David Crockarell, the Clarksville Police Department has made a calculated and strong investment in both officers and how they serve the community.
As Clarksville continues to rapidly grow, the prevention and prosecution of violent crime has become a primary concern for the public. To proactively tackle this issue, the department has created a new Juvenile Engagement Team (JET), a new Intelligence Unit, and a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).
The JET program is part of a DOJ hiring grant that has served 155 middle school students as well as reaching out to athletic leagues, teen Citizen Police Academies, and afterschool and summer activities to provide violence prevention services and youth justice diversion for young offenders.
The new Intelligence Unit combines a crime analyst and a detective to use data to perform complex, multi-agency investigations allowing data and technology to help in complicated investigations.
The CIT unit now totals 41 officers and three civilian staff members equipped to identify and respond to incidents involving mental health issues, prioritizing the safety of citizens and responding officers in these situations. Additionally, 65 area students have also been trained in CIT practices by the department during youth outreach programs.
Additionally, the department has implemented a wellness program to address both the physical and mental health of officers. This department provides resources for officers including an in-house wellness counselor.
The department is on track to receive CALEA accreditation again in 2024 with its last accreditation in 2020 and will receive its third TLEA accreditation in 2024. Additionally, the department opened its third precinct in 2021 with plans for a fourth to open in 2024.
As a result of these efforts, Clarksville has seen both its violent crime rate decrease in recent years and a lower crime rate than comparatively sized cities in the state.