Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks during a dedication of a Hometown Heroes banner for the late Humana co-founder David A. Jones, at the downtown Louisville YMCA on Nov. 30, 2023. Chris Otts, WDRB News
Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel talks to WDRB News on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, about a week after Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced her as the new permanent leader of the Louisville Metro Police Department. (WDRB photo)
Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks with WDRB News during an interview in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 21, 2023. Greenberg is wrapping up is first year as mayor of Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks during a dedication of a Hometown Heroes banner for the late Humana co-founder David A. Jones, at the downtown Louisville YMCA on Nov. 30, 2023. Chris Otts, WDRB News
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg addresses the media at a press conference at Metro Hall, Oct. 20, 2023. By Chris Otts, WDRB News
Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel talks to WDRB News on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, about a week after Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced her as the new permanent leader of the Louisville Metro Police Department. (WDRB photo)
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- "Incredibly challenging" and "very rewarding" are some words Mayor Craig Greenberg used to describe his first year in office.
When Greenberg ran for office, public safety and affordable housing were top priorities. With 2024 right around the corner, the mayor say those things are still at the top of the list.
"I think we're making really good steps forward to make our city safe,"Â Greenberg said. "We are, the chief and I, are working very hard everyday to reduce the amount of violent crime in our city."
After 12 months in office, Mayor Greenberg said improving public safety has been a challenge.
"I will tell you that this is an area that's also probably been the most frustrating area for me if I'm looking back on my first year," Greenberg said.
The mayor said some of that frustration is the result of the ongoing gun violence, including April's mass shooting at Old National Bank.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. Oct. 10, 2023. (WDRB Photo)
"Because we can't talk about gun violence without talking about guns," Greenberg said. "And we are limited what we as a city can do under current state and federal laws."
Greenberg believes having more local autonomy would help change that.
"So that we can do what we know we need to do in Louisville, to make our city safer," he said. "To reduce the amount of gun violence that's plaguing our city. That will continue to be a focus in 2024 and beyond."
While the gun violence continues to be a challenge, the mayor said the job has been full of rewards, which starts with LMPD.
"We're taking steps to make LAPD more transparent than it's ever been before, to improve the training that our officers get, focusing on community policing," Greenberg said.
"Incredibly challenging" and "very rewarding" are some words Mayor Craig Greenberg used to describe his first year in office.
In July, the mayor chose Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department and improve morale.
"The chief and I have gone around to every division and the roll calls, to talk to the officers to understand their needs to let them know that we support them and also talk about our expectations," Greenberg said.
After years of losing officers to surrounding departments, Greenberg said there's been a shift and the department is focused recruiting the best and adding more than 250 new officers on the streets soon.
"I am confident that we are on the right path, that we have a team at LMPD that is committed to policing the right way, while at the same time making our city safer," Greenberg said.
But Greenberg also said one of his concerns since taking office has been the number of people living on the streets.
"We need more affordable housing in every neighborhood in our city, not just in other people's neighborhoods," Greenberg said.
Greenberg believes adding more affordable housing will reduce homelessness and improve public safety.
"I think as we build more housing, you'll see fewer people that are homeless, you'll see neighborhoods that are improved and that are safer," he said. "We have a vacant and abandoned lot problem in many neighborhoods in our city."
The mayor hopes to transform those vacant and abandoned lots into single family homes.
"That'll help improve neighborhoods," Greenberg said. "It'll make neighborhoods cleaner and greener. Those are lots of steps in the right direction to continue to make our city safer."
Last month, the mayor hired a new director to lead metro housing authority and said the city is committed to investing money to address homelessness.
"We're investing money from opioid legal settlements into addiction, which is unfortunately such a large cause of individual who are who are homeless and also, we are investing more in mental health services," Greenberg said.
Greenberg hopes that will attract more people to downtown Louisville.
"We're making tremendous strides to make downtown the safest, most vibrant, energetic, clean, green unique neighborhood in our entire city," he said.
