To be a Cop in Nolensville

There’s a special atmosphere winding through the town of Nolensville and its approximately 15,000 population.

Part of it comes from the historic legacy kept alive by the many structures built in the 1800s and still charmingly viable as private homes and commercial establishments more than a century later. The actual genesis of the town was 1797. That’s when William Nolen, an American Revolutionary War veteran, and his wife Allison lurched to an unintended stop when a wheel on their wagon splintered.

Repairing a wheel was a bit more difficult than shooting some stop-leak stuff into a modern tire. In fact, it was so difficult that Nolen looked around at the rich soil, the trees, the rolling hills, and the overall abundance of natural resources and decided not to bother with the wheel. Instead, they set up camp and stayed – which is basically the same thing Officer Allison Humes did when she visited Nolensville for the first time in July of 2021.

Humes, a Field Training officer on the Nolensville Police Department, navigates a 45-minute drive from her home to the station every morning. She rolls out of bed at 4am to start her 6am shift.

“I was born and raised in Illinois,” Humes explained,” and made it to Tennessee via a full-ride volleyball scholarship. I accepted the scholarship because I wanted to play volleyball competitively and, obviously, because it paid for my education. At the same time, I always knew I wanted to be in law enforcement.

“The desire for law enforcement came from my aunt Bethe Hughes. I idolized her when I was growing up, and she encouraged me constantly.”

Humes launched her career in 2018 as a member of a force of more than 100 officers. It was three years later when she heard about an opening at Nolensville and decided to check it out.

“I interviewed with Chief Parker, who’s an honorable man with an honorable career,” she recalled. “He told me it was a family environment. I nodded my head, but honestly, I thought he was just saying that to make the job sound attractive. It didn’t take long for me to find out it was true.

“The community I grew up in in Illinois was terrific. They rallied around my mom when my dad died when I was 15. Nolensville is the same kind of caring, kind community and that meant a lot to me. Chief knew my name the first day I started. He’s big on community outreach and social media because he wants his people to be in touch with the residents. We have 21 sworn officers on the force with five in reserve. That’s a big change from the 100-plus I worked with previously.”

Humes can’t see herself leaving Nolensville. The town is charming. The people are welcoming, with some becoming personal friends. The call volume is much lower than at her previous department, which means there’s more time for community action.

“We’ve had significant growth, going from two officers per shift to three,” Humes said. “Also, the prediction is for our population to double by 2030, which will make a huge difference.

“I’ll start school for my master’s degree soon, with a goal of becoming a detective. I’m not happy if I can’t constantly move forward, grow, and learn. Moving forward with my master’s will help the department to move forward as well. One day, at my retirement ceremony, I’ll be able to stand there and say I was part of the department’s early growth. That will be a proud moment for me.”

Chief Parker wants his officers involved in the community. He wants them to attend church-sponsored breakfasts, participate in drive-by birthday celebrations, and support local lemonade stands. He wants them to know residents by name and to be a part of the police summer camp for kids, where they learn how to fingerprint and handcuff, among other activities.

Humes loves all the moving parts, all the traditions, the lemonade stands, and the Farmers’ Market “patrols.” And, just like William Nolen more than 200 years ago, she can see no reason to move on.