NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Wednesday evening, city and county stakeholders revealed what needs to be done to better protect victims of domestic violence. Metro Nashville council members have called a special meeting to hear changes that agencies say need to be made as soon as possible.

This all comes after the death of Lauren Johansen, a young woman from Mississippi, which exposed the flaws in Nashville’s justice system. The Metro Council doesn’t oversee the court system, but they said they want to try to better understand what went wrong.

Seven different sections of the city and county took to the podium in the City Council Chambers, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Area General Sessions Court Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, as well as the State Trial Court for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.

Metro Nashville Police Department

MNPD has asked board members for six or seven part-time detectives to help review domestic violence cases.

“If our department had the staff to thoroughly research these cases, it would go a long way to expanding our high-risk panel,” said Capt. Blake Giles of the Family Intervention Program.

He said they want to strengthen the cases to better help the prosecutor’s office. Captain Giles added that their unit has had the same number of staff since 2015 and potential part-time employees could be retired investigators.

Nashville District Attorney’s Office

District Attorney General Glenn Funk said 50 percent of the crimes his office sees are related to domestic violence and added they should be classified as a health crisis.

DA Funk said he wants domestic violence advocates to participate in calls with MNPD, like mental health advocates currently participate in mental health calls.

Christina Johnson, an assistant district attorney for the domestic violence unit, added that she wants to see legislative changes. She said many times, roommates or people who live together, but are not in a relationship, are arrested on a DV charge and placed in detention for 12 hours. She said this is required under current law and should not be, which clutters up the records.

Finally, they want gun dispossession to be enforced and for there to be a safe place to store guns somewhere.

“It’s a real loophole if we don’t have it in the law, then there’s no way to enforce it,” Gen. Funk said.

“It’s not enough for a violent defender to just honor the system by saying ‘No, I don’t have a gun in the house’ – well, okay, we need to do more there” , said Deputy Mayor Angie Henderson.

General sessions

Judge Jim Todd said that recently magistrates have had access to the NCIC, or a system that allows them to view a defendant’s records in other counties or states. He said they were working to impose bail conditions for each offense and consolidate them into one system, so that bail conditions can be changed and updated.

Judge Todd also said Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry has been working with MNPD to integrate them into their ARMS system. This allows officers to see every part of a defendant’s bond conditions in the field.

They are also asking for more staff.

“What we are asking the Metropolitan Council to fund as soon as possible are six administrative assistants for magistrates,” added Judge Todd.

He said those aides would run the NCIC, meet with defendants to review bail conditions and work on protection orders.

The state trial court also discussed moving some protective orders from the Birch Building to the circuit court at Nashville City Hall. However, representatives said they have not yet had conversations and still need the justices to vote.

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