Every human deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.  As guaranteed under the United States Constitution, we all have the right to have equal representation and equal protection under the law.  Those who hold elected office, or those granted the public trust, have a moral and ethical obligation to protect these rights, and to conduct themselves with the utmost integrity both on and off-duty.  Those who fail to meet those obligations, or standards of conduct, must be held accountable, as should those who ignore, excuse or cover up unethical or immoral conduct. 

Metro Nashville Police Department Captain, Jason Reinbold, has failed to live up to his obligations, the oath he took when he put on the badge, and has made a habit of using poor judgement throughout  his career.   The most recent example is when Capt. Rienbold clearly violated Metro Nashville Police Department policy when he chose to berate and threaten a woman walking on public property with her children.  Capt. Rienbold even resorted to using profanity and began to encourage the children to do the same.  A video of the altercation can be found here.

According to Tennessee Code Annotated 39-17-305, Disorderly Conduct is:

Disorderly Conduct: Fighting or threatening behavior, refusing to obey an official order to disperse during an emergency, creating a hazardous condition without legitimate purpose, or being unreasonably noisy as to prevent others from lawful activities, in public with intent to annoy the people.

Section 4.20.040  Metro Nashville Police Department Handbook states:

A. Adherence to Policy & Rules of the Metropolitan Government Employees shall adhere to all policies, procedures, rules, regulations, ethical codes, and administrative or executive orders as established by the department or Metropolitan Government. 

B. Adherence to Law 

1. Employees are prohibited from engaging in conduct, on or off-duty, which constitutes an offense under the laws or ordinances of the United States or any subdivision thereof.

2. A departmental investigation and/or the application of corrective action or discipline is not barred by the absence of formal charges and/or conviction. Evidence of the conduct, proven by a preponderance of the evidence, is the requirement to sustain a departmental sanction under this section. 

D. Conduct Unbecoming an Employee of the Department 

1. The conduct of department employees, on- or off-duty, may reflect directly or indirectly upon the Department, therefore, a police department employee’s ability to perform his or her duties is dependent upon the respect and confidence communities have for the representatives of the law enforcement agency in general. 

2. A police officer is the most conspicuous representative of government, and to the majority of the people, the officer is a symbol of stability and authority upon whom they can rely. An officer's conduct is closely scrutinized, and when the officer's actions are found to be excessive, unwarranted, or unjustified, they are criticized far more severely than comparable conduct of persons in other walks of life. 

3. Employees shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner which does not bring discredit to themselves, the Department, or the City. Conduct that is inconsistent with the provisions within this policy shall be considered a violation.

Capt. Rienbold clearly used poor judgement when he chose to engage in disorderly conduct when engaging the woman and her children, as well as violating Tennessee law and department policy.  Capt. Riendbold’s  choice to publicly defend the practice of targeting homeless individuals for arrest in order to meet arrest quotas was also in poor judgement.  His statements can be viewed here.

When Capt. Reinbold was arrested on three counts of domestic violence in 2013, this superiors, including Chief Steve Anderson, used very poor judgement when they chose not to follow departmental policy.  You can view the criminal warrant numbers here.  According to section 40.20.040 F. Domestic Violence 

1. An employee who, intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury, causes fear of imminent bodily injury; or causes physical contact which a reasonable person would regard the contact as extremely offensive or provocative against a domestic abuse victim (as defined in this manual), is in violation of this policy. (Category AA) 

2. An employee who, while the subject of a protective order, engages in conduct which, by a preponderance of the evidence, violates the terms of that order is in violation of this policy. (Category AA)  

Section 4.10.300 Disciplinary/Corrective Action Grid Chart states a category AA offence means automatic dismissal, as seen in the departments Discipline and Corrective Action chart:

Capt. Rienbold should have been dismissed from Metro Nashville Police Department in 2013, yet he remains a commissioned officer with the department.  Chief Anderson’s failure to ensure those under his command are held accountable for their actions, his failure to ensure the rules, regulations and policies of his department are administered fairly and equitably and his failure to ensure Deputy Chief Henry properly supervised his subordinates is nothing short of a dereliction of duty.  According to section 1.90.030 of the MNPD Handbook:

1.90.030 Office of the Chief of Police

A. Objectives

As the principal administrative element of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the primary objective of the Chief of Police shall be to plan, direct, and administer the law enforcement program and activities of the Metropolitan Government.

B. Organization

The Office of the Chief of Police shall be further organized into divisions, sections, and other such units to include the following:

1. Chief of Police;

2. Deputy Chief of Police;

a) Duties and Responsibilities 

The duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of Police shall include: 

3. The making of regulations concerning the operation of the department, the conduct of the officers and employees, their uniforms, arms, and other equipment for their training;

16.Selecting personnel and enforcing discipline;

21.Developing and implementing an administrative personnel service program designed to:

b. provide continuous, comprehensive evaluation of personnel;

24. Maintaining a record of all complaints of misconduct;

Just as Capt. Rienbold has failed to follow the policies and procedures of the MNPD and fulfill the obligations of his oath, Chief Steve Anderson and Deputy Chief Henry have failed to fulfill their duties as laid forth in the MNPD Handbook.  

Those who live, work and visit Nashville, TN deserve to feel safe and have confidence those who have sworn to protect and serve fulfill their duties and conduct themselves with the highest moral character.  This is why, on behalf of the residents, employees and businesses of Nashville, we demand Mayor John Cooper immediately order the termination of Capt. Jason Rienbold, Dept. Chief Todd Henry and Chief Steve Anderson.