Council Bill Would Name the Hermitage Precinct for Chief Emmett Turner
The police precinct that serves Old Hickory and Hermitage could soon carry a name. BL2026-1653, filed with the Metro Council on Nov. 10, would rename it the Chief Emmett Turner Hermitage Precinct. The bill is sponsored by District 12 Councilmember Erin Evans and co-sponsored by District 14's Jordan Huffman. It is set for first reading on Nov. 17.
According to the bill, Turner was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, in 1942. He came to Nashville to attend Tennessee State University and served in the Army, including a deployment to Vietnam. He joined the Metro Nashville Police Department on Jan. 1, 1969. Mayor Phil Bredesen appointed him chief in January 1996, and he held the job until he retired in May 2003.
The bill credits Turner's tenure with lower crime, re-accreditation of the department and more sworn officers. It also notes laptops in patrol cars, an expanded School Resource Officer program and roughly 130 Neighborhood Watch groups. Most relevant here, it says Turner oversaw the site selection, construction and opening of the Hermitage Precinct.
Metro Code says no Metro building can be named except by ordinance. The bill directs MNPD and General Services to put up new signs if it passes. Ordinances need three readings, so watch the Council agenda if you want to weigh in.
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