Image Credit: Solaren Risk Management / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Mt. Juliet security company for possible “misuse” of their employees, along with other policy violations.
Solaren, the company run by CEO Jack Byrd, has been in the spotlight of WSMV4’s “Thin Blurred Lines” investigations for several months as they uncovered a number of incidents involving these “imposter police officers” working in Nashville.
After receiving several reports of uncertified individuals wearing police identification while on the job for Solaren, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance filed a notice citing 62 charges against the company for violating policies regarding police uniforms and identification.
The charges include allowing non-certified employees to wear police uniforms, carry police identification, and use blue and red light modifications on vehicles to pull people over.
Earlier this month, Solaren filed a response, asking the administrative judge to dismiss the case, stating that their employees have “special law enforcement powers” and should be allowed to wear police identification because some of them work for the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office as off-duty security officers.
“The Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is looking into the allegations of potential DCSO policy violations and misuse of our employees by Solaren Risk Management. It should be made clear the owner of this company, Jack Byrd, was employed by the DCSO from 2011 – 2015, and is keenly aware our employees do not have criminal arrest powers,” responded a spokesperson for DCSO.
In response, Byrd said via email, “If the Sheriff has any questions or concerns, he’s got my cell phone number. As (the sheriff’s spokeswoman) referenced, I am keenly aware of their policies and practices, perhaps more so than some still employed in their executive leadership. I’d dare say that organization desires to unbury these hatchets, but they’re here if they want them.”
Byrd’s attorneys countered against the charges of misuse of blue and red police lights, arguing that the state had failed to specify which employees were responsible for using the lights, and therefore, the violations should be dismissed.
The Department of Commerce and Insurance also says Byrd has photos of himself in police attire on his Facebook page but he is not a certified officer.
Solaren says that Byrd was a commissioned officer at the time the photos were taken, but it was confirmed that he resigned from that position in February 2023.
The case is now set to be addressed either by an administrative law judge or resolved through mediation, whichever occurs first.
One Response
something else stinking in Nashville