Gov. Haslam airs plan to fight drugs, gangs and violence
23.05.12
Gov. Haslam airs plan to fight drugs, gangs and violence
By The Associated Press
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday announced a coordinated plan to fight drug abuse, gangs and domestic violence in Tennessee.
The plan was produced over the course of a year by representatives of 11 state agencies to reduce drug abuse and trafficking, lower violent crime and cut the rate of repeat offenders.
“While we’ve seen an improvement, Tennessee continues to have a violent crime rate that’s above the national average and that none of us find acceptable,” Haslam said at a news conference at the state Capitol.
Haslam said several of the measures will require approval in the upcoming legislative session while others, like a new methamphetamine public awareness campaign, have already been started or can be implemented without new laws.
Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said the administration will also propose legislation calling for longer sentences for gang-related crimes and gun possession by violent felons.
Source: Elizabethton Star