New Nashville police chief Steve Anderson’s leadership style stands in contrast to that of his predecessor, Ronal Serpas, even if his policies don’t waver, The Tennessean reports. Anderson shies away from media attention and tackles adversity in a methodical approach, like an attorney – which he is. Anyone expecting major changes in the way Nashville Metro police operate is likely to be disappointed. The department will continue to use traffic stops as its main crime-fighting tool. It will continue its system of “decentralized” investigations, in which detectives from individual precincts will investigate the majority of crimes as opposed to specialized, citywide teams.
The department will continue its heavy reliance on crime statistics to guide crime-fighting efforts, statistics that have come into question and are currently being audited. Anderson, 62, said his plan for continuity is deliberate. His main goal isn’t to shake things up, but to prepare the community and the department for the future. “Most of all,” he said, “the growth of the people at the command level, the commanders and the captains and making sure that I do all I can to put them in a position to where they’re a candidate to be the chief of police here or another city.” Even some of the harshest critics of the police department over the past decade have found little fault with Anderson’s appointment.