<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 441
By Pody
SJR0441
007432
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A RESOLUTION to honor and commend Lieutenant James
Smallwood of the Metro Nashville Police
Department.
WHEREAS, our nation was conceived by individuals who were willing to sacrifice their
personal concerns to ensure the public's safety and welfare, and the Volunteer State is
especially proud to be the home of so many valiant men and women who have performed
above and beyond the call of duty in service of public safety; and
WHEREAS, thousands of Tennesseans have continued the time-honored tradition of
service in law enforcement, dedicating their time and efforts to aiding those in emergency
situations and apprehending those who have broken the law; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant James Smallwood of the Metro Nashville Police Department is
one such courageous law enforcement professional, who has epitomized the highest ideals of
public service and contributed greatly to the safety of the citizens of Metro Nashville and
Davidson County; and
WHEREAS, graduating from Start High School in Toledo, Ohio, in 2002, Lieutenant
Smallwood joined the Metro Nashville Police Department in 2010 and has served in such
multifarious roles as the patrol and flex unit as an officer, the criminal investigations unit as a
detective, the strategic development division, and in the East precinct as a patrol district
sergeant; he currently serves as the lieutenant over the aviation unit; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Smallwood is also an esteemed member of the Fraternal Order
of Police (FOP), joining in 2010, and as a respected leader among his peers, he served as the
Nashville FOP Andrew Jackson Lodge #5 President and Andrew Jackson Police Youth Camp
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President from 2016 to 2024, in addition to serving as the National FOP Treasurer from 2016 to
the present; and
WHEREAS, putting himself into the service of his fellow officers, Lieutenant Smallwood
acted as the volunteer chaplain and peer supporter in the Metro Nashville Police Department's
wellness unit and helped to form the next generation of law enforcement as an adjunct instructor
with the department's training academy for traffic stop and reality-based training; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Smallwood has been nationally recognized for his supernal
qualities in policing, serving as a member of President Donald Trump's Commission on Law
Enforcement and Administration of Justice, and Governor Bill Lee's 2020 Law Enforcement
Task Force; and
WHEREAS, apart from his work as an officer, Lieutenant Smallwood cherishes his
beloved wife of twenty years, Cristina, and enjoys as many moments as he can with his
children, Cooper and Avery; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Smallwood has displayed the spirit and commitment to family
and community that are characteristic of a true Tennessean; and
WHEREAS, we find it appropriate to acknowledge and applaud Lieutenant James
Smallwood for his dedication to law enforcement and the citizens of this State; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Lieutenant James
Smallwood of the Metro Nashville Police Department for his meritorious service to the citizens of
Nashville, Davidson County, and the State of Tennessee and extend to him our best wishes for
every future success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
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the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.