Local law enforcement leaders meet with US Attorney Mike Dunavant

DENMARK, Tenn. — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Mike Dunavant held his third meeting with law enforcement Friday at the West Tennessee Regional Training Center.

“To have a meeting with me and some people on my staff, so that we can share with them some of our priorities, we can make sure we make connection with them, talk about specific cases or investigations,” Dunavant said.

Sheriffs, chiefs of police, district attorneys and mayors from Madison, Chester, Henderson and Haywood counties were all at the meeting. Dunavant says this allows his team to find out what the counties need.

“What their specific cases and investigations are that they have in their local jurisdictions so we can help them,” Dunavant said. “We can take home those cases and hopefully promote public safety in that way.”

Dunavant says their top priority is stopping violent crime in West Tennessee.

Madison County Sheriff John Mehr says these meetings are important because they allow local law enforcement to come together and get on the same page.

“Law enforcement pulls together, and that’s what it takes,” Sheriff Mehr said. “Even in the private sector, if you don’t work together and don’t do things together, then the mission’s not accomplished.”

They also planned to talk about an increase in prosecutions in the use of firearms in violent crimes and the opioid epidemic. Dunavant says he has one thing he wants the community to know.

“I want the community to know that there is no place in West Tennessee that criminals can hide,” Dunavant said.

Their first two meetings were held in Gibson and Henry counties.