Louisville police says new unit has contributed to city's drop in shootings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville has seen a major decrease in non-fatal shootings in recent years.

In 2023 and 2024, the city had more than 200 such shootings by the end of July, per Louisville Metro Police data. But so far this year, there's only been about 160.

In 2023, LMPD created a special Non-Fatal Shootings Unit. Maj. Jill Bates, commander of the Major Crimes Division, said the unit has helped bridge a communication gap and give victims a voice.

"Sometimes the shooting victims can get kind of lost in the shuffle," said Louisville Metro Police Maj. Jill Bates, commander of the department's Major Crimes Division. "So this focuses on victims that are shot, and then we look for patterns."

The unit has closed roughly 38% of this year's cases, and Bates said that success is thanks to a lot of collaboration with officers in other units and divisions across Louisville.

She believes this team's work also helps curb fatal shootings and other violent crime.

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