AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, relative to detection of criminal patterns.
Summary
SB 236 creates a new part in Title 38 of the Tennessee Code dealing with the detection of criminal patterns around rental properties. It defines a “qualified nonprofit organization” as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and authorizes that organization to register the address of a rental home or apartment complex with a law enforcement agency for the purpose of receiving automatic notifications of emergency assistance calls made to those properties.
Once a property is registered, law enforcement agencies must send the nonprofit automatic notifications of calls for emergency assistance services at that rental home or apartment complex. The bill also allows rental property owners or managers to contact a registered qualified nonprofit organization to enroll in receiving those notifications, with the stated purpose of helping detect and respond to crime patterns. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Impact
The bill would add a new statutory framework in Tennessee Code Annotated Title 38, Chapter 1, requiring law enforcement agencies to provide call-for-service notifications to registered qualified nonprofits for specified rental properties. It affects police agencies, nonprofit organizations, and rental property owners/managers by creating a registration-based information-sharing process intended to identify recurring criminal activity at apartment complexes and rental homes.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and crime-prevention tool, suggesting a generally supportive intent toward improving communication between law enforcement, nonprofits, and property managers.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the privacy and data-sharing aspect of automatically notifying a nonprofit about emergency assistance calls tied to specific rental properties. Questions could arise about tenant privacy, the scope of information shared, whether nonprofits should receive police call data, and how the system would be administered or used by property owners and managers. However, no specific objections or supporters are documented in the provided materials.