FOX 17: Nashville mayor announces creation of city's first Office of Youth Safety

Ashley Griffin, Fox 17

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Nashville’s Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced Wednesday that he has created the city’s first Office of Youth Safety.

The new office will be focused on “taking a proactive, evidence-based, people-informed approach to youth safety and well-being.” The Office of Youth Safety will be funded through the 2025 operating budget.

Metro says they have held multiple focus groups and conversations with civilians over the past year, finding that many of Nashville’s young people were advocates for the creation of this new office.

“Our youth are increasingly susceptible to violent interactions, and I join many people in the community who want to change that,” said O’Connell. “Any approach to youth safety must be comprehensive and collaborative. Aligning our goals and our collective work in the area of youth safety, provides us the greatest opportunity to prevent violence and criminal justice interactions for youth and improve their educational outcomes and overall well-being.”

The position of Director for the new Office of Youth Safety has not yet been filled. Below is the list of responsibilities and skills the city is looking for in a candidate:

• Pilot, assess, and promote programming to prevent conflicts from escalating into gun violence and equip youth with conflict resolution skills, with a focus separate from the criminal justice system.

• Use data and research to inform Metro’s investments in youth violence prevention and restorative programming, and to focus on youth most at risk of violence.

• Gather and assess how Metro departments can continue to build safer communities for youth in ways that reduce harmful interactions with the criminal justice system.

• Support the development of evidence-based, community-informed anti-violence initiatives within Metro departments as part of a comprehensive effort to promote youth safety and well-being while minimizing the harms that come from interaction with the criminal justice system.

• Develop relationships with leaders of existing restorative justice initiatives within Metro departments, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and independent agencies and incubate a restorative justice program as needed.

Applications for Director will start being accepted in early December once the job is posted.

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