NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee will funnel $300,000 of federal coronavirus relief money to help cover the cost of 90 additional police cadet scholarships as part of Gov. Bill Lee’s initiative to strengthen policing.
The announcement comes as advocates across the nation have called for systemic reforms to policing, including redirecting money build the capacity of first-responders to handle mental health crises and other community needs. The most strident of these demands call for defunding the police – something Lee, a Republican, has spurned and described as “meaningless.”
Instead, Lee on Thursday touted the recommendations that his top administration officials drafted with input from law enforcement groups.
“Through this partnership, our state has created one of the most comprehensive and collaborative law enforcement advancements in recent Tennessee history while also working to recruit top-tier talent to our force,” Lee said in a statement.
Rep. G.A. Hardaway, chairman of the state’s legislative Black Caucus, countered the governor’s group lacked representation from citizens who “suffer the most from police conduct.”