LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Violent crime is rising in Louisville, and the police chief is taking steps to attack the problem. The chief has created a new unit to specifically target violence.
It's part of a massive reorganization of LMPD. The chief is re-shuffling resources to create what's called the VIPER unit, which stands for Violent Incident Prevention, Enforcement and Response.
James Rogers has owned a barbershop near the corner of 28th and Greenwood for 20 years. He's had few problems with crime himself, but he has certainly seen the neighborhood change over the years.
"The biggest change, it seems like there are more gangs. Young guys in groups. Seems like they try to take advantage of other people you know."
Though Chief Conrad's new VIPER unit will not specifically target gangs, it is designed to focus on hot spots of violent crime and arrest the worst offenders. "Our focus is on criminals whether they are affiliated with a gang or not. Our focus is on violent crime in the worst, problematic areas of our city, and those may shift over time," said Conrad.
The chief is also beefing up the intelligence unit to better identify and locate those responsible for violent crime, specifying, "Not only of where things are happening, when they are happening but, most importantly, who's involved. Who are those repeat, dangerous, violent offenders?"
Rogers thinks it's worth trying: "I think it's a real good idea to try to target certain areas, where the crime seems to be pretty high. I don't think it could hurt anything."
But Chief Conrad says no matter how much he reshuffles the police department, it will take cooperation from citizens to really attack Louisville's violent crime problem. "A critical portion of anything we do is community involvement, community trust. It's important that members of the community are doing their part to let us know when they see crime," said Conrad.
" I guess lots of people are just kind of frightened at that, but it would be good if they get more involved with it," said Rogers.
Chief Conrad says this re-shuffling will not affect everyday law enforcement. So, if you're used to seeing a patrol on your street, the chief says that will not change.
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