Youth Services

Youth Services is a division within the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department that investigates school-related burglary, theft, and vandalism, as well as fights and non-sexual assaults on school property, whether at school functions, on a school bus, or at a bus stop.  The division investigates accidental injuries, drug overdose, and kidnapping when youth are involved.  Moreover, Youth Services investigates runaway or missing children, and child neglect or abandonment.  Youth Services detectives are often the initial responders to schools that are not served by a School Resource Officers. 

Juvenile citations issued by members of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are sent to the Youth Services Division for processing and resolution.  Counselors assigned to this division are responsible for determining a course of action to resolve citations.  Resolution may mean that the young person is referred to counseling or other services.

School Crossing Guards

We are proud of the fact that during this school year, not one child was injured at a location manned by a School Crossing Guard.

The School Crossing Guard Section is an important entity within the MNPD. Created in 1951, the School Crossing Guard Program is primarily responsible for the safe crossing of pedestrian school children as they walk to and from school daily. Our personnel aid and assist in the safe crossing of walking children at 180 assigned locations during the regular school year. During the summer school session, we cross children who attend the Enhanced Option Program at eight elementary schools that span twenty-four locations. The Enhanced Option Program is charged with elevating mathematics and reading skills of area youths.

The School Crossing Guard Section is comprised of approximately 200 crossing guards, a civilian Human Resource Assistant II, one sworn officer, and a Police Lieutenant as Commander. Of the 200 school crossing guards, we have eight field supervisors and two Office Support Representative II's. The School Crossing Guard Section is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training all crossing guard staff. Lastly, as an incentive mechanism, our School Crossing Guards receive a bonus of $500.00 at the end of the school year for completing the entire school year.

School Resource Officers

The objective of the School Resource Officer (SRO) program is to provide a community policing approach to maintaining the safety of the learning environment through the prevention and reduction of school crime and violence.   

The SRO regards the school as his/her community and may respond in one of three ways:

1. as a counselor, confidant, and conduit for community resources
2. as a law enforcement officer charged with keeping the peace
    on the school campus, and/or
3. as a resource for teaching in the area of law related education.

The SRO works in partnership with the school principal.  However, the officer is an employee of and takes supervision from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.