When some former and current Metro Police employees heard their new boss would come from within the department, several reached out to Silent No Longer to express their concerns.
In his first week, Nashville’s new police chief is starting to set the tone for what the department’s priorities will be under his leadership. John Drake has served his hometown department since 1988 and says one of his top goals is improving how Metro police interact with residents.
But Greta McClain is skeptical that an internal promotion will lead to a change in culture. She runs Silent No Longer, an organization for sexual assault survivors, many of whom say their incidents occurred while working at the department. She says an outsider was needed to improve the department’s culture.
“Mayor Cooper had the opportunity to address the issues within the department and to create a safe environment for officers,” she says. “He made a conscious decision to ignore that opportunity.”
Some Nashville residents fighting against systemic racism and police brutality agree with McClain. They don’t think Drake’s promotion shows city officials are committed to creating substantive change.
But Mayor John Cooper says Drake will bring a new approach to the job.
“He’s a leader with a great heart,” he said on Tuesday during a Metro Council meeting. “He’s going to be a great partner for our community and he is a relationship builder.”
When Drake was auditioning for the role as interim chief, he replaced proactive enforcement units with community engagement teams. This week, Drake signed an agreement that broadens the power of the Community Oversight Board.
And although Drake has had leadership roles in the department, Nashville Councilmember Tanaka Vercher believes he isn’t responsible for the previous chief’s actions.
“That’s not his burden to bear,” she says. “No more than it is for the other good police officers within the department.”
Even if Drake quickly resolves past issues, he’ll still have the challenge of rebuilding trust that took decades to break.
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