Governor Bill Lee announces $100M crime intervention initiative

JACKSON,Tenn.– Governor Bill Lee’s announcement comes as an initiative to curb violent crime and strengthen public safety.

“Local law enforcement at times need help a lot of technology that’s coming down the pipe in the last 5 to 10 years, especially rural departments that technology is unaffordable at times,” says  Milan Police Department Chief Bobby Sellers.

There are a lot of rural departments like the Milan police department who can benefit from this investment. However, for MPD the area they need to strengthen is their equipment.

“A wide array of equipment fight, it’s not just fighting and preventing crime, but it’s also solving crime. It could be a lot of things from cameras, licenses plate readers or something that we use here on a small scale and we would definitely like to expand that,”says Chief Sellers.

Local law enforcement agencies can apply for grant funding through January 2023. As part of governor Lee’s investment 100 new troopers will be added to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, with $30 million to support recruitment, retention, and more.

“Crime across the nation is an issue right now and we’re going to stay on top of it I kind of look at crime as kind of like fighting a fire if its small and you stamp that are out it keeps it from getting big and out of hand and crime is the same way it’s just something you got to stay on top of,” says Sellers.