LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Last April, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a sweeping federal investigation of the Louisville Metro Police Department's policing and practices, a response to several high-profile police conduct issues over the years.
These federal probes typically result in a consent decree, a contract for targeted, specific improvements. Metro Council President David James said he expects the report to come by the end of the year, and LMPD appears to be preparing for what could come out of it.
Last month, a new job listing went live on the Louisville Metro Government Job Opportunities website that directly mentions the consent decree. The compliance coordinator position seems to be heavily involved in working between LMPD and the DOJ. In the listing, LMPD says a candidate will "(collaborate) with internal stakeholders, DOJ, consent decree monitoring team, and community to manage and facilitate changes needed to comply with the consent decree." It makes numerous other mentions to a consent decree as well.
In a written statement Friday, LMPD called the position "anticipatory."
In an interview Friday, Mayor Greg Fischer wouldn't say the department fully expects a consent decree.
"It's a little bit ahead to say we're going to be in a consent decree," Fischer said. "We don't know that. We expect the DOJ letter to come sometime here in the coming weeks or so. We've already created an Accountability Improvement Bureau within LMPD. We're working on 150 different actions already, many of which are complete. We're building out that office. It's accountability and improvement. We're going to continue to add resources in there so LMPD can do a better job with the community, build community trust."
James broke down what a consent decree would mean.
"When the federal government — the Department of Justice — enters into an agreement with a city where they have found problems in their patterns and practices of policing, they will assign an overseer that will over watch the decisions of the executive branch as it relates to law enforcement and public safety for a period of years," he said. "They, in a way will micromanage the police department and the leadership of the police department and the executive branch and those decision-making efforts — as it relates to law enforcement and public safety — to try and correct what they perceive to be problems that we are currently experiencing."
The DOJ's "pattern or practice" review is aimed at targeting officers' use of force, including against people participating in First Amendment-protected activities. It also aims to determine if the department makes unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures on patrols and when executing search warrants at private homes.
Federal officials said their work wasn't prompted by a single event but instead will look broadly at police conduct over time. However, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland did mention Breonna Taylor, whose 2020 death thrust Louisville into the national spotlight, during an announcement from Washington.
"We will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead," Garland said in his April 2021 news conference.
In a virtual community forum in September, Fischer and LMPD Chief Erika Shields outlined fixes already underway. For example, to respond to the staffing shortages, the department is now offering salary increases and hiring bonuses.
"We are working on so many fronts to ensure that we are ahead of what ever report that comes out and there's a lot of work that's been done," Shields said.
James said if there is a consent decree, it will impact the budget.Â
"If we are into a consent decree, it's automatically going to cost a lot more money," he said. "It'll be a financially burdensome endeavor. So please understand that there will be an increase to the budget of the police department because of that consent decree."
James said Louisville's police department was previously under a consent decree in the early 1980s because of discriminatory hiring practices.
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