LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's police chief said an officer shortage is largely to blame for the city's officers being overwhelmed with "unmanageable" caseloads, though he said he doesn't want to use that as an excuse.
A recent report from the Office of Inspector General found Louisville Metro Police detectives are being stretched thin, handling up to 100 cases a month — sometimes 40-50 new cases a week. According to the report, which was released Aug. 27, the department prioritizes violent crimes, leaving many property and financial crimes low on the list.
The report, which included interviews with 36 LMPD detectives and sergeants, found caseloads are "heavy to the point of being unmanageable." Most detectives said the reality of the workload was overwhelming despite knowing the challenges going in.
LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey said Wednesday that the workload problem is due to staffing issues but doesn't want to use that as an excuse.
"I don't want people to think that their situation is not important," Humphrey said. "Yes, we have to prioritize violent crime. But we take seriously any property crime, any theft."
LMPD is consistently hundreds of officers short. Humphrey said the department is working on recruiting, hiring and caseload management. It also recently hired some civilian investigators to work on the cases that don't always get priority.
The department currently has four to eight detectives covering each division, down from 10-12 in previous years. That leaves detectives struggling to keep up with every case that hits their desk.
Communication with victims is another major hurdle. Some detectives said as many as 50-60% of victims don't respond to calls, which contributes to cases going inactive.
The report also notes detectives are losing overtime pay, adding financial strain to the already heavy workload. Among the recommendations are increasing staffing, enabling patrol officers to handle some follow-ups and creating a mentoring program for new detectives.
Though the department plans to have 41 new officers by the end of January, LMPD still has roughly 280 vacancies, which puts a strain on current officers. However, officials said they've gotten a lot of interest in their October recruit class. They're hoping to gain 48 more qualified officers.Â
In a statement following the report's release, Humphrey said the department was still "reviewing the findings in full."
"We agree with many of its initial conclusions — particularly the need to reduce detectives' caseloads through increased staffing," the statement continued. "I am encouraged by the growing numbers in our recruit classes and hope this trend continues. We urge more people to consider a career with LMPD. We will continue to explore strategies to balance workload demands for our officers, detectives and professional staff. By strengthening our ranks and investing in our employees, we can continue to build a department that supports our community with both urgency and excellence."
To read the full report, click here or on the PDF embedded in this story.
If you'd like to apply to be an LMPD officer, click here.
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