Excessive Arrests Do Not Prevent Criminal From Breaking The Law Again

Image Credit: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office & Redbanktn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Rebecca Scott] –

A Hamilton County man has been arrested yet again.

Steven Tyler Frizell was convicted of vehicular homicide and sent to prison in 2009. After serving his sentence, he has been arrested 23 times since his release in 2014. Prior to the vehicular homicide he had been arrested 10 times. That totals 33 arrests and 5 years behind bars.

His 33^rd arrest was, once again, for reckless driving and drug possession. His drivers license had been revoked, but that did not prevent him from getting behind the wheel, endangering citizens, being involved in a hit and run, and fleeing from officers before being located hiding in a storage facility. 

A 2017 arrest was due to nearly hitting a patrol car and being found with drugs and drug paraphernalia when pulled over by the officer. 

A reporter from Tennessee Conservative News had previously spoken with an anonymous source with ties to The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who “described the justice system in Tennessee as something like a “criminal mill” where offenders enter, exit and reenter the system with regular frequency.”

A revolving door of arrests and releases concerns citizens who see repeat offenders let out onto the streets only to commit the same types of crimes over and over again with no real consequences or behavioral change.

While Governor Bill Lee desires criminal justice reform, the reality that many Tennesseans come face to face with is that these criminals are not being rehabbed to become healthy, integrated members of society. Many offenders simply see an opening to commit more crimes as the punishment is minimal, jail time is sometimes non-existent, and charges are frequently reduced or dropped entirely.

While Governor Lee acknowledges that rehabilitation and less taxpayer dollars being spent on the prison system is a lofty goal, Tennesseans are seeing more problems with the criminal justice system than solutions. 

37 year old Steven Tyler Frizell faces a new round of charges that look similar to many of his past charges. Frizell has openly admitted to alcohol and drug addictions since his teenage years. While interventions and rehabilitation are respectable ideals, Tennessee officials must be willing to deal with the reality that these gentle approaches are not often effective with people who live in a cycle of crimes that endanger the public.

Police officers deserve to know that the justice system respects their role in removing crime from Tennessee cities and neighborhoods. Instead, many officers are faced with arresting and rearresting the repeat offenders that rarely pay for the crimes they’ve committed. 

About the Author: Rebecca Scott is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Rebecca at Rebecca@tennesseeconservativenews.com.