A new public safety dashboard launched by the Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance allows residents to track crime statistics citywide and by neighborhood. The tool, developed in partnership with the Sycamore Institute, shows violent crime and homicides have declined in 2025 compared to last year, with 5,023 incidents reported through August versus 8,468 in all of 2024, Axios Nashville reports. Alliance CEO Pat Shea said the goal is to make data more accessible and help residents gain a clearer picture of safety trends in their communities.

Knox County Commissioner Kim Frazier has announced her candidacy to replace term-limited county Mayor Glenn Jacobs in 2026, Knox News reports. She joins fellow Republican contenders Commissioner Larsen Jay, who entered the race in January 2024, and school board member Betsy Henderson, who announced in March. “My decision to pursue the immense privilege of being the next Knox County mayor isn’t about anyone but the people who make this county great,” Frazier told Knox News. “I feel the responsibility to give them a leader who will always put their community first.” The Republican primary is set for May 5, 2026, with the general election scheduled for Aug. 6, 2026.

The University of Tennessee (UT) System suspended and is pursuing the firing of an assistant professor at the Knoxville campus who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media after Kirk was shot to death last week. The assistant anthropology professor posted the comment in response to a post about Kirk's killing saying, “the world is better off without him in it," Knox News reports. UT campus leaders suspended Tamar Shirinian today and initiated termination proceedings. Separately, a Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) assistant dean of students also has been fired after commenting on Kirk's death on social media. According to The Tennessean, a university spokesperson confirmed that Laura Sosh-Lightsy was fired for “inappropriate and callous” comments.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday declined to review the city of Memphis’ appeal in its lawsuit with the Memphis Police Association while the city's appeal is pending with the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the Daily Memphian reports. The ruling means the court’s stay from August — which had allowed the city to avoid demoting second lieutenants — will expire. The dispute centers on the city’s creation of a second lieutenant rank without the union’s consent. In March, Shelby County Circuit Judge Damita Dandridge upheld an arbitrator’s finding that action violated the city's contract with the association. After Dandridge declined to stay her ruling, the city appealed to both the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court. Dandridge has since recused herself from the case. The police association previously moved for the city to be held in contempt of court for failing to demote the second lieutenants, though that motion had been on hold pending the high court’s decision.

Davidson County voter rolls lost 80,170 voters between December 2024 and June 2025, according to the latest report from Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. The Davidson County Election Commission Facebook's page indicates that a major voter purge occurred between February and March of this year, when the county’s total eligible voters dropped from around 530,000 to 460,000. According to the Nashville Scene, most of the removals — about 66,000 — were inactive voters who failed to respond to registration confirmation notices or vote in two consecutive general elections. Another 13,710 active voters also were purged, leaving the county with 442,852 active voters ahead of this fall’s special election in the 7th Congressional District. The same report lists 25,973 voters purged in Shelby County, 18,367 in Rutherford County, 14,375 in Knox County, 14,335 in Hamilton County and 14,115 in Williamson County.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a presidential memorandum creating the Memphis Safe Task Force, which, according to the Daily Memphian, will bring together federal law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Guard to “restore public safety and get dangerous career criminals off of [the] streets.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the state’s two U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty were at the Oval Office for the signing.  Read more in a fact sheet or watch the remarks. Last Friday, Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis to address what he called the city's persistently high crime problems, Axios reports. Also Friday, Gov. Lee released a statement, saying his office had been in “constant communication” with the Trump administration to “work out details” for the plan. According to the Commercial Appeal, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he was not happy about the decision but would work "strategically to ensure that this happens in a way that truly benefits and strengthens our community." Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris called the move an "obliteration of America’s most important norms." That paper has reactions from other elected officials and local residents.

Join the TBA Young Lawyers Division on Sept. 24 at noon CDT for the next installment of the "Rookie Series: Making the Most of Mediation." The webcast will feature Tennessee attorney and Rule 31 Civil Mediator Susan McDonald as she addresses the preparation needed by lawyer-advocates for mediation sessions. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

Less than a month after Mason city officials approved contracts to reopen the West Tennessee Detention Facility to house detained immigrants, the facility has already received its first detainees, the Daily Memphian reports. A spokesperson for CoreCivic confirmed that the facility, which can house 600 people, was receiving detainees arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE representatives responded Wednesday with a statement saying the first detainees arrived Monday and there are about 20 in the facility so far. Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman said he was unaware they had already arrived. The decision to reopen the center has drawn opposition and legal challenges from the ACLU of Tennessee, which contends the city’s approval vote was invalid under its charter.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received five applications for a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District following the retirement of Judge Phillip R. Robinson on Oct. 17. The 20th Judicial District covers Davidson County, and the circuit court seat will be assigned domestic relations cases. Applicants for the vacancy are Audrey L. Anderson, Bethany P. Glandorf, Harold E. Rushton, Morgan E. Smith and John R. Wilks. A public hearing for the position will be held Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Nashville School of Law, 4013 Armory Oaks Drive, Nashville 37204. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward nominees to Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. For more information, contact John Jefferson, assistant general counsel at the Administrative Office of the Courts, at john.jefferson@tncourts.gov.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) is seeking attorney volunteers to help commemorate Constitution Day by leading one-hour classroom programs on the U.S. Constitution at three Knoxville elementary schools. The programs will be held Sept. 19 at Fountain City Elementary from 8 to 9 a.m. and South Knox Elementary from 1 to 2 p.m., and Sept. 26 at Dogwood Elementary from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. All times EDT. Organized by the KBA Barristers School Outreach Committee, the interactive sessions will include videos, activities and Q&A opportunities with students. No prior teaching experience is required, and all materials will be provided. Attorneys interested in volunteering can reach out to co-chairs Grace Ewell or Hannah Clyde.