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County and Lebanon leaders say crime counts have fallen even as population grows; jail and court projects cited
Summary
Speakers including the Lebanon mayor and Mayor Hutto said crime counts dropped in most categories over the past decade, even as the county added capacity by doubling the jail and planning a multilevel court system; an ICE detention facility was raised as a concern that county leaders said they opposed.
Lebanon and county officials used a public forum to discuss public safety capacity as Wilson County grows, citing both infrastructure investments and reported crime trends.
Lebanon's mayor (introduced during the event as Mayor Mary Bail) said that while the population has increased over the last decade, "our crime rate numbers have dropped" in actual counts though not necessarily in percentages. The mayor said the city and county police departments have been effective and credited investments in new tools and staffing.
Mayor Randall Hutto said the county has doubled the size of its jail, added a colocated 911 office and plans a new multilevel court system that he said would open in March 2027. He said the county has funded WEMA stations through grants, purchased a ladder truck for large buildings and established replacement funds for emergency vehicles and ambulances.
Hutto also referenced a past effort to site an ICE detention facility in the county and said officials and community members worked to prevent it. "We fought hard to make sure that didn't happen here," he said.
Speakers emphasized staffing, technology investments and interagency cooperation; there were no formal votes or policy actions at the event.
