LMPD reveals reforms being made after Department of Justice mandated changes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's been 13 months since the Department of Justice began working with LMPD to reform its police practices. Now the department is implementing numerous changes.

It was March 2023 when the DOJ released a report highlighting problems with LMPD's policing. The DOJ made 35 recommended changes to tackle issues of discrimination, racism, excessive use of force, unlawful traffic stops, the handling of sexual assault and harassment complaints, and other issues.

The federal investigation into LMPD cited more than 60 different incidents of alleged misconduct, according to an appendix of a 90-page report issued by the DOJ after a two-year investigation into LMPD. By 2022, at least nine officers had been convicted in federal court.

"You have bad actors who do things like throw slushygates and forge documents," said Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, D-District 1, who chairs the council's Public Safety Committee.

LMPD officials have said they understand the seriousness of the report's findings, and are working to make improvements. But it will take time.

"Improvement's a constant process, and we need to meet community expectations," said Dep. Chief Paul Humphrey.

The investigation, prompted by Breonna Taylor's death, focused on LMPD's actions from 2016 to 2021.

Since then, LMPD has taken action by changing leadership and adding new divisions to hold officers accountable.

"We're making sure that all of the agencies and all of the special units are meeting the training standards that we have set forth," Humphrey said.

He referred to a chart to demonstrate the new oversight positions that have been created. The department now has training, performance, and compliance divisions. In October the department formed its Force Investigation Review Unit to conduct training for all commanding officers.

The FIRU unit now reviews incident reports involving use of force, pursuits, and incidents involving forced entry into homes. It will then provide feedback on the "thoroughness and accuracy of" the investigations.

"We had inconsistent types of investigations and evaluations by supervisors at the front-line level," Humphrey said. "This is standardizing how we conduct use of force investigations."

While LMPD continues to work on reforming, the DOJ is holding community meetings where people can share their ideas for police reform.

Councilwoman and committee chair Tammy Hawkins attended a meeting during the week of April 8, and says she wasn't pleased because she feels the DOJ doesn't hold the department responsible.

"To me, it's to silence the community," Hawkins said.

Ultimately, it's got to be the chief and the command staff," said David Kaplan, deputy mayor for Louisville's Operations and Budget. "There's got to be that chain of accountability."

Hawkins hopes to see action through a legally binding police reform plan, also known as a consent decree. LMPD hopes to create a culture of feedback and improvement.

"None of us want to be looked at as an agency that habitually violates rights, so we look forward to the opportunity to show the good work that we do and improve the way that we do things," Humphrey said.

Kaplan said this process could take years to finalize, but LMPD is looking for feedback right now. On the department's website, people can submit critiques of current policy. The DOJ is also holding community meetings where people can share their ideas for police reform in person. The next meeting is Tuesday.

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