LMPD sees largest recruit class in years as it aims to rebuild community trust

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Metro Police Department said having more officers in the community is their priority, and some of its current recruit class are among the largest in history.

Jaren Crittenden, a current LMPD recruit, grew up in Louisville and has seen first-hand the disconnect between his neighborhood and police, particularly after Breonna Taylor's death in 2020.

"This is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid," Crittenden said. "It's gotten better but it can also be better. I'm really looking forward to being a community man."

He signed up to be part of the solution and said he's looking forward to getting out onto the streets to bridge that gap.

"... talking to people and seeing their perspective on police officers, seeing what we can do to change it," Crittenden said.

Crittenden is one of 13 recruits who will graduate Sept. 12, and the next group is even bigger. In fact, with 28 members, it's the largest recruit class LMPD has seen since June 2022.

And many of the officers are coming from other police departments.

"There's so many service opportunities at LMPD that these other fine departments in the area just don't have to offer," LMPD investigator Andy Abbott said.

He said it's also partially because of good leadership and the department's nationally recognized wellness center. However, new recruits also get a unique opportunity to visit museums in Washington and learn about empathy.

"It was a lot of people in our class who didn't know who Emmitt Till was, so they didn't know about African American culture," Crittenden said. "They didn't know about the Holocaust and what happened with that. So just going on that trip really opened our eyes a lot."

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.

"They're having a difficult time getting a break because they're working so much," Abbott said.

However, officials said they've gotten a lot of interest in their October recruit class. They're hoping to gain 48 more qualified officers.

"We have vetted 770 applications," said Sgt. Michael Jackson, LMPD's head of recruitment. "That, by far, is a number we haven't seen in years."

Jackson believes having a fuller staff allows LMPD to have more specialized units and prioritize meeting people where they're at.

"We're able to give more," he said. "And that's the key — being able to give that much more to this community."

If you'd like to apply to be an LMPD officer, click here.

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