NASHVILLE — A bill that would allow neighborhood associations to get restraining orders against repeat criminals was sent to the governor’s desk.
Representative Antonio Parkinson sponsored the Neighborhood Protection Act.
Tuesday, WREG spoke with neighbors in the Twin Lakes area.
They voiced their support for the bill.
“We do have habitual criminals that go in the system and they come right back out and do the same thing again,” said Twin Lakes Neighborhood Association Secretary Dempsey Sailes.
Sailes said his neighborhood had an issue with burglars.
The bill allows recognized neighborhood groups to ask a judge to ban criminals who are convicted of three separate offenses in the area.
The offenses mentioned in the bill are theft, burglary, rape and criminal homicide.
Neighbor Travis Moore has experienced the theft first hand.
Someone stole his motorcycle from his front yard.
He described the bill as “protection for the neighborhood.”
The restraining order would last a year, but neighborhood associations can apply to renew them.
The bill would go into effect on July 1st of this year if it is approved.