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Department of Safety seeks trooper pay and hiring increases amid scrutiny of ICE operation
Summary
The Department of Safety requested salary adjustments and 50 trooper positions to reach 1,300 troopers; lawmakers pressed officials on a May operation in Nashville involving ICE, asking whether troopers targeted Latino drivers and asking for public condemnation and internal review.
The Department of Safety and Homeland Security told lawmakers it is seeking a $19.75 million salary adjustment based on a market survey and 50 additional trooper positions to reach a statewide goal of about 1,300 troopers. The department said the proposed pay changes aim to keep troop levels competitive with neighboring states and to improve recruitment and retention; Colonel Matt Perry of the Tennessee Highway Patrol explained that if approved the starting pay for new troopers would be "right at about 75,000."
The most contentious portion of the hearing related to an operation last May working with ICE that several members said targeted Nashville's Latino population. Representative Freeman and others pointed to published videos and asked whether the department condoned marking passengers or conducting stops based on language or appearance. The department said it is reviewing footage and is limited in public comment by pending litigation, but the department's leadership said they did not condone inappropriate conduct and that they would investigate. Colonel Perry repeatedly said troopers conducted probable-cause traffic stops and that any trooper misconduct would be handled through internal investigations and discipline if warranted.
