Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Interim Police Chief Paul Humphrey, and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke announced today the signing of a historic consent decree aimed at accelerating police reform and restoring community trust in law enforcement.
The agreement, which comes nearly two years after a DOJ investigation revealed a pattern of civil rights violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), sets benchmarks for reform with the goal of exiting federal oversight in five years or less.
“The most basic responsibility of government is to keep our people safe while protecting constitutional rights and treating everyone fairly,” said Mayor Greenberg at a press conference. “This consent decree builds on the transformational reform we’ve already undertaken, and I’m confident it will move us toward a safer, more equitable Louisville.”
The consent decree follows a scathing DOJ investigation that found LMPD had engaged in unconstitutional practices, including excessive use of force, discriminatory traffic stops and unlawful searches. You can find the full report here.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the significance of the agreement, stating, “This consent decree marks a new day for Louisville. Together, we are committed to promoting public safety, ensuring constitutional policing, and strengthening trust between the community and law enforcement.”
Changes Already Underway
Unlike some cities, Greenberg said his administration did not wait for federal oversight to begin reforming Louisville’s police department. Over the last two years, LMPD has rewritten policies, enhanced officer training and implemented a focus on de-escalation techniques.
The department has also expanded programs to divert people in crisis away from the criminal justice system and prioritized data collection to evaluate the effectiveness of its policies.
“We are already well on our way to meeting the consent decree’s requirements,” said Interim Chief Paul Humphrey. “This agreement gives us a clear roadmap without distracting officers from the critical work of protecting our community.”
Key Provisions Of The Consent Decree
The consent decree includes measures to:
- Improve training on de-escalation and constitutional policing.
- Strengthen accountability systems to address misconduct, including sexual harassment.
- Enhance community engagement and transparency through public dashboards and regular updates.
- Implement safeguards to ensure officers treat all residents fairly, including those with behavioral health disabilities.
The agreement also includes a cap on costs for the independent monitor tasked with overseeing compliance, a step Mayor Greenberg described as ensuring financial responsibility for the city.
“It will be a transparent process,” said Clarke. “We’re looking for a neutral that can help to be that independent third party that guides the city and the police department on when they have complied with the requirements of the decree.”
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Building Trust And Accountability
The need for systemic reform gained urgency after the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor and subsequent protests that highlighted a breakdown in trust between LMPD and the community. Over the past two years, a series of scandals and misconduct cases, including sexual harassment allegations and federal charges against several former officers, have underscored the urgency of meaningful change.
The latest included the suspension, and later resignation of former LMPD Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel after her handling of a sexual harassment claim from another police officer. In total, there have been six police chiefs enter LMPD since 2020.
Mayor Greenberg expressed gratitude to both the community and the officers committed to reform. “To those who demanded change, thank you for your advocacy. To the men and women of LMPD, thank you for your dedication to doing this job the right way,” he said.
During the decree announcement, he said he was “not concerned” about whether officers may leave following the consent decree.
“Consent decrees are successful because of leadership, not because of words on paper,” he said.
As a shift to the Trump administration draws closer, the former president’s attitude towards consent decrees has only strengthened with time. He has likened many federal consent decrees with “defunding the police,” or acting to weaken law enforcement.
However, during the consent decree announcement, Greenberg told reporters that he and his administration was never waiting for a consent decree to act.
“That’s what you’ve seen over the last two years,” he said. “You’ve seen our administration and LMPD take action to begin to implement meaningful reforms and improvements. Many of which are spelled out in further detail in this consent decree… This is our plan. This is our path forward, regardless of who is president, regardless of who is attorney general.”
Next Steps
The city will soon begin a public selection process for the independent monitoring team that will oversee compliance with the consent decree. Community members will have the opportunity to meet finalists before a selection is made, according to the mayor. In addition, Chief Humphrey will hold community meetings next year to update residents on implementation progress, and a public dashboard will track benchmarks.
The mayor said during the decree announcement that his administration will continue to work to reform LMPD to keep residents safe.
“The Department of Justice saw the action we’ve already taken and our commitment to aggressively implement police reform. As a result of these improvements, we have a consent decree unlike any other city in America.”
For more details, the full consent decree and press conference are available online.
This article appears in Dec 4-17, 2024.
