My friends, there are bluer skies ahead ….

Join millions who have switched to Grok.

I WOKE UP IN A NEW BARGATZE

Our priorities remain intact as we do the work recommended by our transition committees, which continue to have us focused on a Nashville for Nashvillians. I appreciate the collaborative approach of departments and #MetroCouncilNash based on community needs and preferences.

This plan includes key investments in infrastructure, schools, and heavy fleet as well as major maintenance for parks and libraries. I’m specifically excited about advancing a significant renovation of Glencliff High School and getting a start on an upgraded Hadley Park library.

Tonight, #MetroCouncilNash unanimously approved our Capital Spending Plan for fiscal year 2025. I’ve called this our “buy stuff budget.”.

Fundamentally, I think this is a question about whether we trust ourselves—local government, local law enforcement—to perform a core mission of public safety against a backdrop of lack of trust in higher authorities. I’m still an optimist in this regard.

Our administration worked carefully to establish policy and contractual safeguards, and if this is approved, we will continue working with people and organizations that expressed concerns to review risks and try to demonstrate public safety impact.

While I know I developed a reputation for surveillance skepticism while on #MetroCouncilNash, I believe this recommendation—which doesn’t expand instruments of surveillance—will meaningfully improve public safety outcomes while not endangering vulnerable residents.

We’re not taking an approach of only fast tracking requests from police; we started this administration working to ensure that the CRB would continue to exist and then working to ensure that an MOU got established.

@iambsexton At this point, weighing MNPD’s request for capabilities in a platform they’re already using for police vehicle location and computer-assisted dispatch against community concerns, I believe this is a reasonable public safety request.

@iambsexton And here’s MNPD’s policy:

@iambsexton Here’s CRB’s initial report: Here’s their updated report:

As we were evaluating Fusus, @iambsexton on our team used a policy review by the CRB to help surface model policies for MNPD to adopt, which they have, upon our recommendation.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville @DaveRosenbergTN They repeated their request several months ago, and we determined that a public hearing was required for new capabilities for camera access and disabled that portion of the contract.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville @DaveRosenbergTN MNPD initiated a request for Fusus updates late last term while I was still serving on #MetroCouncilNash. We never fully considered it.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville @DaveRosenbergTN We’ve heard these concerns and worked hard to improve the contract to respond to them, including a kill switch if the program is accessed in violation of local statute or policy, a prohibition on facial recognition/AI, and prevention of unilateral terms of use modification.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville @DaveRosenbergTN This latter proposal has become increasingly controversial locally after the federal election, given concerns about impacts on multiple vulnerable communities and how Fusus could be abused.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville Here's some additional information compiled by @DaveRosenbergTN on our team.

@NCRBNashville @MNPDNashville And tonight #MetroCouncilNash is considering an update to a contract for MNPD’s use of Fusus, which would enable privately installed cameras in commercial locations to be accessed in response to a request for service.

We secured an important memorandum of understanding between our @NCRBNashville and @MNPDNashville. We announced a new Office of Youth Safety based on ideas and funding derived from the Varsity Spending Plan introduced during the public hearing for the FY25 operating budget.