The “morally disingenuous” email

Every time I renew my call for Chief Anderson to step down as the police chief, I think about the time he called the advocates who prepared the October 2016 Driving While Black report “morally disingenuous.” That was in an email to me where Chief Anderson copied the full Council. Here’s the full email from March 7, 2017.

Here’s the Tennessean story about the events at the time.

UPDATE (June 18, 2020): The Mayor just announced that Chief Anderson is retiring. Whether it was his idea or the Mayor requested it, this is a step forward for Nashville. One step forward.

I thank Chief Anderson for his years of service to Metro.

Moving forward — replacing the chief will not automatically be a solution to any issue the city is facing. I have long believed that the chief was an obstacle to meaningful reform, but replacing him doesn’t guaranty success. I hope that we keep our eyes on the broader goals of equity and inclusion for all, and not solely on who the next Chief of Police should be.

I look forward to hearing from the administration about how the selection process will go.