Image Credit: City of Millersville Police Dept. / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) conducted a raid on the Millersville Police Department earlier this week, but this isn’t the only roadblock this particular police department has faced recently.
Last month, Millersville Police Chief, Bryan Morris, verified that his department’s access to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) had been restricted by TBI and he believes the limited access and other barriers the police department have encountered are connected to an ongoing investigation.
FinCen is the financial crime database used to track and combat financial-related crimes like money laundering and crimes related to terrorism. Reports from this database are often used by police departments when they are attempting to follow money trails related to a case, according to Morris.
“We run these reports through TBI,” said Morris, “and they are the ones that restricted our access.”
Formerly police chief of the Ridgetop Police Department in Robertson County, which is no longer active, Morris became the Millersville Police Chief back in February of this year.
He was also appointed as Millersville’s interim city manager in April and has been juggling both positions, reportedly allowing day-to-day police operations to be overseen by Assistant Millersville Police Chief Shawn Taylor.
According to Morris, TBI attributed the restriction of his department’s access to the database to a “standard audit.”
At the time, TBI declined to comment on the Millersville Police Department’s limited FinCen access.
“We have no information to provide in response to your questions,” TBI spokesperson, Josh Devine, wrote in an email.
Regarding the TBI raid of the Millersville Police Department, TBI spokesperson, Susan Niland, confirmed that agents did conduct searches of both the department itself and Taylor’s home in Robertson County.
Niland did not provide any information on why these searches were conducted or what TBI agents may have been looking for at either location.
On Thursday, Morris told the news media that TBI took some laptops and case files from the police department during their investigation.
Morris mused that he welcomes the state’s investigation and the items taken by TBI were all things his department had already been trying to give them.
“These are case files we have tried to get them to help us with in the past,” said Morris, using the word “unnecessary” to describe the raid. “I think it’s retaliatory in nature. We would have given them access to anything they asked for without the show of force.”
“I believe [the raid] was done to make us look bad and undermine our credibility,” he continued.
Morris stated that last month, his department was investigating “public officials” who may have “sway” over some TBI individuals and that this recent FinCen restriction has hindered a couple of cases within his department.
“It’s very concerning anytime people you are looking into can generate enough influence to have it stopped,” said Morris, adding that he has received no estimate on when the department will receive full access to FinCen again.
While Morris did not provide any names of who his department was investigating, he did clarify that they were not investigating any TBI personnel.
“Everything we have ever run through them has been an open case with a case number provided to them,” he said. “I cannot answer why this has happened other than to speculate.”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
