NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - By all appearances, there is nothing remarkable about the room tucked away in the far back room in Millersville City Hall.
But the city’s new attorney wonders if what was created in that room is a catalyst to confusion in the public about who is and isn’t a police officer in Nashville.
“Having someone impersonate a police officer is very dangerous to citizens,” said Bryant Kroll, the newly hired attorney for Millersville.
Behind a locked door is a mid-sized machine that looks - at first - like a copier.
But for years, it has been used to make ID cards for the city, including police commission cards which identify someone as a police officer or a reserve police officer.
WSMV Investigates reported last week that six people, many of which showed themselves on social media wearing Millersville police uniforms, were given either police officer or reserve officer police commission cards.
But an outside investigation by the Peace Officer Standards and Training commission shows documentation was missing in the files for the six men that confirmed they received required training to receive those cards.
Following turmoil in city leadership, in which the former city manager, police chief and fire chief were all terminated, an audit by the city sought to understand where the commission cards came from.
“These cards say the City of Millersville on them. There’s an obligation, we feel, to get these cards and bring them back so they can’t be used to influence the populous,” Kroll said.
Kroll said the cards present a real problem for the public.
“(The commission cards) lowers the citizen’s guard. They think this person is a police officer. I have to respond to them. I have to stop or I might get arrested,” Kroll said.
An examination by WSMV4 Investigates of those commission cards, and who received them, reveals connections between the turmoil in Millersville and our ongoing “Thin Blurred Line” investigation.
At the center of that connection is Jack Byrd, the owner the Mt. Juliet security company Solaren.
Byrd’s company has several major contracts with the Nashville Downtown Partnership and the Opry Mills Mall to provide security, including off duty police officers.
Byrd is among those who received commission cards from Millersville, although he is not state certified police, and he has no documented police training in his file.
“There’s a file but it’s empty,” Kroll said.
“There’s nothing in the file?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.
“Nothing in it,” Kroll said.
“His card states that he was a police officer, not a reserve officer. Do you have any idea why he was granted that?” asked WSMV4 Investigates. “It’s obvious not just a typo. We see the reserve cards that say reserve on it. (Byrd’s card) says full police officer. That’s a question for whoever’s name is on it,” Kroll said.
The former Millersville police chief whose name is on Byrd’s card, granting him the police officer status, is Dustin Carr.
WSMV4 Investigates obtained a recorded phone call with Carr in August 2022 in which he can be heard saying that Byrd offered $200,000 of license plate readers to Millersville.
“I don’t hand out commission cards. I don’t, and I told (Byrd) that. I’m adamant against it. With that being said, there are some things you’ve got to really consider,” Carr said in the call.
At some point, Byrd received the commission card identifying him as Millersville police.
As we have throughout our investigations, we have contacted Byrd asking for an interview. Byrd at first agreed last year, but then backed out, since sending statements.
In response to this story, Byrd sent an email reading in part, “”During my time with every law enforcement agency I have ever worked or volunteered with I have undergone all pre-employment screenings, all required trainings, and received all certifications to which I have copies of. In closing during my time with every law enforcement agency I have ever worked or volunteered with I have undergone all pre-employment screenings, all required trainings, and received all certifications - to which I have copies of. During my time with MPD all state, local, and federal laws were followed regarding my employment with the MPD.”
WSMV4 Investigates then asked Byrd if he would provide copies of his certifications and trainings, but he has yet to do so.
Why would a citizen want a police commission card?
Kroll, and former employees of Solaren, tell WSMV4 Investigates the reason why a citizen would want a commission card is money.
If you work security, and have a police commission card that identifies you as a police officer, you and the company you work for can charge more for side security jobs.
Byrd’s Facebook posts show him wearing a police vest, with “police” clearly written on the back, in downtown Nashville, on August 22, 2022, the same month the recorded call with Carr was made.
In the post, Byrd wrote, “I don’t wear a uniform often these days, but when I get to, I make it count.”
In the post, Byrd tags Carr, whose name is on Byrd’s commission card.
Our prior reporting also found after Carr resigned from Millersville, he posted himself wearing a Solaren uniform, and that another former Millersville police chief and assistant chief have ties to Solaren.
Our “Thin Blurred Line” investigation first revealed that in several cases, former and current Solaren employees, who are not state certified police officers, wore police identification in downtown Nashville and the Opry Mills mall.
One of the former Solaren employees, who posts pictures of himself in police uniform but is not state certified, is accused of using a blue light to pull over a citizen after a dispute on the interstate.
Following our reporting, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance opened six separate investigations to Byrd and the Solaren employees.
A spokesman for the Department of Commerce and Insurance said their investigations are ongoing.
More connections between commission cards and Byrd
Our review of the commission cards from Millersville reveal more connections to Byrd.
Two of the men identified by POST for not having documented training in their files, but were still given police commission cards, posted pictures of themselves on social media with Byrd.
Former Millersville city manager Scott Avery, who was granted a commission card, can be seen in a photo with Byrd and Carr at a Solaren event.
Avery agreed to speak with WSMV4 Investigates by phone.
“I wondered if you ever worked security jobs identifying as a police officer outside of MIllersville identifying as a police officer?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.
“No, I never identified myself as a police officer,” Avery said. “You’re getting into areas where I’ll have to ask my attorney before I can answer some of these questions.”
In subsequent texts, Avery said he did all the appropriate training, including firearm training, and has an extensive law enforcement background.
Avery also wrote in texts that after POST’s investigation into the commission cards, the firearm qualifications were kept by the city’s firearm instructor.
“The other files are in the employees personnel files and I believe still are,” Avery wrote.
Avery wrote that “all items were cleared up” with POST and “Millersville had no outstanding issues with POST.”
Kevin Walters, spokesman for POST, wrote to WSMV4 Investigates stating that the issues surrounding the reserve officers were never finalized as both the chief and assistant chief resigned, which closed the investigation.
“Millersville has repeatedly reported that POST cleared their agency. The resignation of former Assistant Chief Glenn Alred and former Chief Melvin Brown resulted in a resolution to the matter without required disposition on the issues,” Walters wrote.
Kroll said files are still missing from the six people that documents the necessary training.
Along with Avery posting on Facebook with Byrd, former Millersville reserve police officer Mark Loy also shared a picture of himself with Byrd and others.
Loy confirmed he worked for Solaren for “about a year.”
“Did you ever use these cards to work security and make money?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.
“Yes, I did work side jobs and every side job I worked they knew I was a reserve police officer. Never once did I tell somebody that I was a police officer,” Loy said.
Loy also said that he voluntarily gave up his commission card when he resigned from the reserve program.
“When all this stuff happened with the police department getting on the news, I didn’t feel comfortable with what things were going on,” Loy said. “I just turned my stuff in. I just quit being a reserve.”
Kroll said the city has alerted their findings to the Department of Commerce and Insurance and the state comptroller’s office.
“When you have people getting these cards for the sole purpose of lining their pockets working in downtown Nashville, that’s a problem,” Kroll said.
If there’s anything you want WSMV4 Investigates to know about, you can contact us here.
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