Tennessee will funnel $300,000 of federal coronavirus relief dollars to help cover the cost of 90 additional police cadet scholarships as part of Gov. Bill Lee’s initiative to strengthen policing.
The announcement comes as advocates across the nation have called for systemic reforms in policing, which have included demands to defund the police — something Lee, a Republican, has spurned and described as “meaningless.”
Instead, Lee on Thursday touted the recommendations that were drafted in partnership with top administration officials and law enforcement groups.