Franklin Police present 14 program enhancements including new victim support counselor, training sergeant and crime analyst

The Franklin Police Department delivered an extended budget presentation to the Budget Finance Committee that included 14 program enhancement requests and a summary of 2024 activity and operational needs.

Chief (Franklin Police Department) highlighted last year’s enforcement and event work: a seasonal retail enforcement team made more than 50 arrests and recovered nearly $10,000 in merchandise during the holidays; a newly deployed narcotics canine named Kobe has been active for nine months and the chief said “his work and his human partner has already resulted in 12 narcotics arrest.” The chief also reported officers worked 1,416 extra jobs and special events last year and logged about 15,920 extra hours above regular patrol shifts.

The department requested 14 program enhancements aimed at replacing outdated equipment, improving officer safety and training, and adding personnel to meet service demand. The enhancements, as presented, include: - Additional training sergeant position to manage basic, in‑service and remedial training and meet Tennessee POST requirements. - Victim support counselor to provide crisis intervention and referral assistance for victims of crime and survivors of traumatic events. - A second evidence technician position to address inventory, chain‑of‑custody, TBI reporting and court testimony workload (2024 totals cited: 522 drug cases, 130 firearms, 1,787 other property items, and 33 impounded vehicles documented by evidence staff). - Dive team face masks with communication kits. - Tactical 360° camera for high‑risk entries and scene assessment. - A state‑of‑the‑art drone with thermal imaging and quick‑charge batteries for search and rescue and suspect searches. - Incident command vehicle stabilization upgrades and a new awning. - 10 practice (nonfunctional) training pistols to support scenario‑based training. - Facial recognition software for detectives to generate investigative leads using publicly available photos; presenters said results are used as investigative leads and are corroborated with other evidence. - Virtual reality training simulator for scenario‑based decision‑making and de‑escalation training. - Traffic management software to provide empirical vehicle count and speed data for traffic studies — a tool the chief said could reduce staff time spent collecting data manually. - Range improvements, including a secure steel storage building and painting of existing structures. - Funding for a crime analyst position (on org chart but unfunded) to support data mining, predictive analysis, and staffing/planning decisions.

The chief emphasized mental‑health and victim‑service workload: officers responded to approximately 130 psychological emergencies last year (28 involving juveniles) and reported eight completed suicides in the year, 347 domestic‑violence victims, 55 overdoses where Narcan was administered, and 5,699 welfare checks. The chief argued a victim support counselor would allow a more victim‑centered response and sustained family contact after major incidents.

Committee members asked about privacy safeguards and record retention for facial recognition software. The chief said the system would use publicly available photos and be used only as a lead; detectives would not rely solely on software to establish probable cause. Committee members asked that audit trails and access logs be maintained and not be deleted. The chief said the department would look to Brentwood and the airport for policy models and align with existing Axon retention policies.

On staffing, the chief said the department’s budgeted sworn officer positions are 36 and noted the department has added officers since 2022; during the discussion the headcount number was discussed with multiple figures cited (statements ranged from 34 to 37). Committee members asked for a budgetary estimate to return the department to earlier authorized levels (145 officers in 2008 was referenced by staff as historical context) and asked staff to provide cost projections for additional sworn positions.

The presentation also included a confidential drug fund report; the chief described strict state guidelines that govern use of those funds and said the department would not spend beyond available fund balance.

No committee vote on enhancements was recorded; the presentation was for committee review and budget planning.