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by Madeleine Nolan
ANTIOCH, Tenn. (WZTV) — After years of neighbors calling for more officers and faster response times, Metro Police has officially opened its new Southeast Precinct, marking the department’s first new precinct in more than a decade.
The 24,000-square-foot building on Murfreesboro Pike will serve as a home base for 80 officers covering nearly 73 square miles, including much of Antioch, Percy Priest Lake, and neighborhoods that have seen explosive growth and rising crime over the past several years.
Metro Police Chief John Drake says the new precinct allows the department to shrink the boundaries of the South, Hermitage, and Midtown Hills precincts, making coverage more efficient.
The new Southeast Precinct will also house the department’s Traffic Division.
Leading the new precinct is Commander Carlos Lara, a 17-year MNPD veteran and the department’s first Latino commander.
Former Metro Councilmember Tanaka Vercher, who represented the district, says the precinct is the result of years of grassroots pressure.
“1,100 neighbors signed a petition related to public safety concerns in the community,” Vercher said. “Over 117 meetings were held just on public safety out here. People were scheduling their lives around daylight hours — not wanting to go out after dark. That let me know we really had a public safety crisis in this area.”
For longtime business owner Macarena Castillo, who’s run Monterey Mexican Restaurant on Murfreesboro Pike for 29 years, the change is already noticeable.
She’s seen everything from drag racing in the parking lot to armed robberies and remembers when police could take up to 40 minutes to respond.
Castillo says having the precinct just down the road gives her more peace of mind as both a business owner and a nearby resident.
The Southeast Precinct is Metro’s ninth full-service facility and the first to open in 11 years.
It includes a 1,400-square-foot community room where residents can meet with officers and local councilmembers.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell said the expansion reflects both population growth and a commitment to public safety.
“This department is meeting the challenge,” O’Connell said. “Opening the Southeast Precinct allows us to better serve one of the fastest-growing areas of our city.”
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