Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, interim chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department, joins other city and federal officials to discuss the civil rights investigation at a news conference Wednesday. To her left are Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg (L) and US Attorney General Merrick Garland (R).
Luke Sharrett/AFP via Getty Images
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Luke Sharrett/AFP via Getty Images
Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, interim chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department, joins other city and federal officials to discuss the civil rights investigation at a news conference Wednesday. To her left are Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg (L) and US Attorney General Merrick Garland (R).
Luke Sharrett/AFP via Getty Images
The Louisville Metro Police Department has a pattern of violating civil rights, conducting unlawful searches, and discriminating against black people and people with disabilities, according to federal officials.
The U.S. Department of Justice came to that conclusion after a two-year departmental investigation that began a year after the police killing of Breonna Taylor and found that it was far from the only example of unlawful conduct by officers between 2016 and 2021.
Officials detailed their findings in a 90-page report released Wednesday, which alleges that the LMPD has long practiced “an aggressive policing style that it uses selectively, particularly against black people but also against vulnerable people across the city.” “.
Examples include the use of excessive force (including “unreasonable neck restraints”), conducting searches based on invalid search warrants, executing search warrants without knocking or reporting in, unlawfully searching and arresting people at traffic stops, and violating the Rights of individuals “critically involved in protected speech by the police.”
It also accused the department of discriminating against black people in its enforcement activities and people with behavioral disabilities while responding to them in crisis situations.
The report “paints a very painful picture of our past,” said Craig Greenberg, Louisville Mayor, who took office in January.
He says morning edition that he was running for office and knew he would inherit the report, not knowing what his findings would be but determined to act on it “so that everyone has a police department they trust and are proud of” .
“Many of the incidents that the Justice Department lists in its report are annoying to read and really annoying examples of abuse that no one is proud to have happened in their city or any other city,” he says. “It’s unacceptable, inexcusable, and we’re focused on where we go from here.”
The report recommends 36 improvements the department can make in areas ranging from training (particularly related to the use of force and search warrants) and documentation to home affairs and civilian oversight.
Officials at the Justice Department and Louisville have also announced that they will work together on a legally enforceable list of reforms known as the Consent Decree.
Greenberg believes Louisville is “moving in the right direction,” noting that the city made some policy changes even before he was elected in November and a new interim police chief took over earlier this year.
And he reiterates the Justice Department’s assessment that the majority of Louisville officers engage in public service for the right reason, though he said that doesn’t excuse any of the incidents that have taken place.
“It doesn’t excuse it in the past, it wouldn’t excuse it if it happens now, and so we’re going to focus on this reform, improve education, improve surveillance, change culture and move on from here,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg spoke up morning edition‘s Steve Inskeep on what those next steps might look like.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
Whether he thinks the black residents of Louisville reconciling almost a quarter of the population have fundamentally different experiences with the police
Historically, maybe even today, yes, which is a shame. We have to work on that, one of the many things we have to work on. We need to make sure that regardless of your skin colour, gender, child or adult, you see the police as someone who is here to help, protect you and there are incidents when they use the appropriate level of force use, do not use excessive force. So we will be having many discussions and working together not only with the Department of Justice but also with the community to ensure that our entire community can trust the police.
Which, in his opinion, must be in the consent decree
From our discussions with the Department of Justice over the last few days and yesterday, it is clear that they are very focused on our training and making sure we have the right leaders at the LMPD and that they have the right training for all of our officers. And then there’s the oversight of the training, that there are reports on the training that we can see very early on when patterns are emerging where things aren’t going right and making sure our officers have the training they need, to work constitutionally and effectively police. And so I think our LMPD is ready to embrace this – it was definitely a tough day for them yesterday too – but we need to confront the hard truths of the past so that we can move forward together as a community.
About getting resistance from people who are concerned about crime
I think everyone in the community wants a good police department; Almost everyone I’ve ever dealt with supports a great police department. In fact, we actually need more officers in Louisville right now — we’re short by almost 300 officers, which means we have fewer officers in the neighborhoods, with community leaders, with members of the clergy, with small business owners working to prevent crime. And that’s why I strongly support having more police officers, we’re just going to make sure they have the right training and the right resources and leadership that they need to enable them to work with the community in a way that we’re proud of to prevent crime.
On whether it is possible to increase police funding while reforming the police force
That’s our goal, yes.
The audio interview was edited by HJ Mai.