20-03-2025
Greeneville Police Dept. postpones Hispanic community meeting following public backlash
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Greeneville Police Department (GPD) postponed a planned Hispanic community meeting that was scheduled for March 25 following an adverse reaction from the public.
The event was going to mark the first Hispanic community meeting at the police department, according to a Wednesday social media announcement. The department said topics covered at the meeting would be 'rules of the road.'
The original announcement, posted on March 13, reads as follows:
Greeneville Police Department is proud to announce that we will having our first Hispanic Community meeting on March 25th at 5:30 in the G Thomas Board Room located at 110 N College St in Greeneville Tn. Topics covered for this meeting will be Rules of the Road. This will be taught the next 3 months in our community meetings, after there will be a Q and A time for any other questions people may have about anything law enforcement related. We will have a translator present. We hope to see you there.
Greeneville TN Police Department on Facebook
The March 13 social media announcement post received more than 2,000 reactions and more than 1,000 comments ranging from disdain to support and claims the meeting was an ICE roundup in disguise.
The adverse reactions from the public come after President Trump signed multiple executive orders on immigration and issued numerous edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and border security within his first week in office.
The full post announcing the postponement of the event can be viewed below:
The Greeneville Police Department has decided to postpone the Community Meeting that was scheduled for March 25th. It will be rescheduled. The negativity toward the post and our department has overshadowed the intent of the meeting. The response has shown us that there is work to be done in building relationships with our community that allows anyone to feel comfortable attending a public meeting.
Our goal with our Community Meetings has been and will always be to build strong relationships with our citizens. We have held meetings and trainings on multiple subjects such as How to Spot a Scam and Elder Abuse Awareness. We have also held meetings city wide and at several businesses and schools. The Rules of the Road will be offered three times in a variety of locations. This was always the plan.
We will continue to reach out to the community to collaborate and work on solutions. We feel that the most effective place to do that is in person, and we will continue to live our mission. The Mission of the Greeneville Police Department is to protect you, your family, and our community.
Greeneville TN Police Department on Facebook
News Channel 11 reached out to the GPD, and a spokesperson said no one from the department was available to speak about the postponement on Wednesday.
The GPD's neighboring agency, the Greene County Sheriff's Office, has previously stated it is working with the federal government to enforce immigration laws in its area. News Channel 11's sister station WATE spoke with the sheriff's office about immigration law in January. The GPD has not publicly announced a similar initiative or intention to enforce immigration law.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
