NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working to improve the state’s violent crime clearance rate. Director David Rausch told Governor Lee during a budget hearing Tuesday that the state’s rate is about 35%, which is 5% higher than the national average.
“As we look at violent crime clearance rates throughout the country, they are not in a good spot,” Rausch said.
Raush told the Gov. Lee staffing is one of the main ways to help get a case to court for prosecutors.
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“There are cases that are going to be cleared by exception because there’s no longer a suspect, maybe deceased but I think prosecution rates are probably the more refined way of seeing how impactful we can be on violent crime,” he said.
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They need staffing in specific areas like intel analysts, cold cases, aviation teams and victims services.
He explained that victims services is at the top of their list because they can have a big impact on the violent crime clearance rate. But right now, most times victims services don’t step in until there’s a suspect named in a crime.