Walking Outside Won’t Get You Arrested — Governor Clears Up Confusion About Safer At Home Order

Tennessee’s Safer at Home orders have raised some questions in recent days, prompting Gov. Bill Lee to pen a clarifying letter this week to the state’s local law enforcement agencies.

In the letter, Lee says “many questions have arisen over what is, should, or should not be covered in the list of Essential Activities and Essential Services.”

Last week, Mt. Juliet Police Captain Tyler Chandler took to Twitter to clear up rumors that residents were only allowed to walk their dogs around their houses or were barred from driving.

“There is nothing in place where police have checkpoints up or they’re stopping people because they’re driving on the roadway. They’re just not in place,” he said during a Periscope Q&A. “There’s nothing in the governor’s order that says employers have to provide a letter to, like, show your papers if you’re stopped. Nothing like that is happening. And, in fact, our police department hasn’t stopped anyone from driving on the roadway.”

Chandler said he hopes residents will voluntarily comply with the governor’s executive orders, and that officers will warn those gathering in large groups multiple times before issuing a citation. And he said that approach has been successful so far.

“Everyone that we’ve had to talk to about the governor’s order and not being in compliance, everyone has listened to us,” Chandler said. “They understand it, they disburse and they begin to follow the order.”

Lee’s letter asks law enforcement officials to use “sound judgment, restraint and discretion,” and focus on educating those who violate the executive order, rather than punishing them unnecessarily.

The governor adds that the purpose of his recent executive orders “was not to micromanage every person and business, but rather to provide a broad framework that results in Tennesseans staying home as much as possible.”

He says local leaders should take it upon themselves to stress the importance of staying home and following the advice of health experts. And, if needed, “applying social pressure on persons and businesses who choose not to act in good faith.”