LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city of Louisville is closer to hiring its first Inspector General.
In a release, Mayor Greg Fischer announced Edward W. Harness on Tuesday as his choice to lead the Civilian Review & Accountability Board to oversee Louisville Metro Police. The IG will have the authority investigate allegations of improper interactions between any members of the LMPD with any member of the public.
The appointment must be approved by Louisville's Metro Council.
Harness is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has served as the executive director of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency since 2015. During his tenure, he helped establish the agency that would handle civilian complaints against police. It also monitored internal affairs for the Albuquerque Police Department.
Harness is also an attorney who served 12 years as a police officer in Milwaukee, where he also provided oversight of law enforcement as a volunteer police commissioner, according to the release.
Mayor Fischer says in a statement that Harness has unique qualifications for the job.
"Ed's leadership background and his set of unique life experiences will no doubt help us to strengthen the trust between our residents and our police officers, and move us a step further in achieving our goals of racial justice and equity," says Fischer.
Louisville's Inspector General will lead a new office that will have the authority to "investigate allegations, examining patterns and practices within LMPD; reviewing policies, procedures and operations; and providing recommendations on improving operations to the Mayor's Office and Metro Council," according to the release.
The 11-member Civilian Review & Accountability Board was formed in Dec. 2020 as part of an effort to reimagine public safety and add a way to independently review LMPD and its disciplinary matters.
Councilwoman Paula McCraney, co-chair of the Civilian Review Board Work Group, will sponsor the resolution for the appointment of Harness.
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