Nashville Group Publicly Shames Mayor Cooper For Refusing To Clean Up Homeless Encampment
Image Credit: Reclaim Brookmeade Park and Greenway for the People / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
A West Nashville grassroots organization, Reclaim Brookmeade Park & Greenway, is publicly shaming Nashville Mayor John Cooper with digital billboards for refusing to clean up a large homeless encampment that is plaguing the city.
The encampment is located at Brookmeade Park. The park is currently closed to the public because it is overrun with the city’s homeless population.
*** Click Here to Support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. We can’t cover stories like this without your support!***
When addressing why the organization decided to put their message on billboard’s now, organization leader Rebecca Lowe said, “I met one on one with Mayor John Cooper in February for an hour and a half where he heard me on trash, crime, abuse, neglect and most of all, a fast solution like transition villages with pods. He was receptive and I felt great about the meeting. I took this back to you and said I felt confident I got our message across and he would act quickly on our crisis. He also promised me he’d walk the park with me and see first hand what a hellhole it’s become and still is. He never did.
It’s June. I don’t like looking like a chump and wasting my time. And neither does our board nor our community.
His recent $50 mil spending doesn’t include anything about bridging the gap between Brookmeade Park Homeless Camp and his new perm supportive housing that might be done in late 2023.
And most of all, many citizens don’t realize the encampment is as bad as ever. That needed to be rectified. We thought billboards would clear that up. And, if they miss a billboard, we have other ways coming up they might notice.”
Dede Byrd, who works for the group, says she has “never seen an environment that is more unsafe than Brookmeade Park.”
People’s personal belongings are scattered throughout the grounds, while trash and debris fill much of the open spaces. Those camping there have left threatening messages when neighborhood residents have attempted to clean up the space.
Byrd says that since there has been no progress made in handling the crisis, the mayor should be held responsible for the problem.
Nashville resident Lou Wilbanks said, “If the billboards bring attention to this crisis then it is worth it.”
He goes on to state that the Mayor is lying to the people and has not “even in the parking lot outside of the camp.”
“I’m not sure what the number of fatalities is but it is definitely in the double digits! These people did not have to die!!,” Wilbanks said, “Anyone who wants to be critical of the efforts being taken to help this situation, please know it is coming from people who have first hand information on this crisis!”
The group’s Facebook page has accumulated over 1.1K members that are working to make a positive change in Tennessee’s capitol city.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
Do not allow Tennessee to become another California. These homeless camps are disgusting and should be treated as an environmental hazard. Move these people back to blue states.