Midstate Police Leaders Discuss the Increase in Juvenile Crime

juvenile crime

With the regional rise in juvenile crime, police leaders from across the Midstate came together in Franklin Monday morning to discuss the increase and to develop joint strategies to combat it.

Brentwood Police, Clarksville Police, Franklin Police, Hendersonville Police, Lavergne Police, Metro Police, Nolensville Police, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Smyrna Police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office all participated.

Chiefs from Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Smyrna, and Lavergne Police Departments, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Director of the TBI were at Franklin Police Headquarters where executive teams from middle Tennessee police agencies strategized on how to work closely together to protect citizens against an alarming spike in juvenile crime.


Carjackings, armed robberies, auto burglaries, and murders committed by teens, along with their desperate, dangerous getaways were all at the center of today’s conversation.

“Teenagers are crossing jurisdictional boundaries to commit violent crimes in our community,” said Franklin Police Chief Deborah Faulkner. “Their lack of regard for the safety of others makes them particularly dangerous.”

Brentwood Police Chief Jeff Hughes said, “Bringing these agency stakeholders together to collaborate, share intelligence information and work towards innovative solutions to combat crimes involving teens demonstrates our commitment to address this issue head-on.”

“Juvenile crime in Williamson County is at an unprecedented high,” said Chief Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. “We are committed to changing that. Every law enforcement officer here is devoted to working together with one goal: To keep our residents safe.”

Multi-jurisdictional enforcement and investigations, along with intelligence sharing and area-wide crime prevention campaigns were all at the forefront of today’s discussion. Police leaders are already discussing action steps and a date for their next strategic session.