LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Increasing diversity among Louisville Metro Police is one of the department's main focuses.

That's why Kentucky's first permanent Black female police chief took the issue straight to some of Louisville's youngest minds. 

LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel permanently stepped into the role in July after serving as interim chief at the start of the year. In doing so, she became the first permanent Black female police chief for the department and the state. 

Since taking office, Gwinn-Villaroel has always spoken about the need to hire more officers, especially those of color. 

"There's another one of me sitting right here in the audience," said Gwinn-Villaroel. "I should not be the only one that is standing right here."

She continued that message when speaking with students at Grace James Academy Friday morning.

"We need more women in leadership, more strong women in leadership and women that don't compromise their standards," she said. "They have goals, they have values and they understand they should have a seat at the table."

For some students, like Kaleigh Gravatte, it was the first time they'd ever seen the chief.

"I was not aware our LMPD chief was an African American or a women," Gravatte, an eighth grader, said. "When I saw her walk through the door and I realized who she was and I saw the badge and everything, I was like 'Oh my goodness! There's someone that looks like me in the police force.'" 

JCPS student listens to LMPD chief speak at Grace James Academy

JCPS student listens to LMPD chief speak at Grace James Academy. (WDRB Image)

Gravatte said that type of representation made her feel "very accepted and welcomed."

Gwinn-Villaroel started by sharing her story and telling students about her 26 years in law enforcement, which started in Atlanta, Georgia. The chief said both of her parents were surprised to hear she wanted to become an officer, but were supportive of her journey. She attributed much of the woman she became to the teachings of her father, stating "You see me, you see my father."

She also explained her mission to make Louisville "the safest city in the nation." She said the main pillars the department is focusing on to achieve that vision include: Tackling violent crime, building community trust, increasing recruitment efforts and incorporating new technology into policing.

"I make sure all of my executive team, all of my supervisors, everybody knows that mission, even down to my officers," the chief said. "It's not good for just only me and just a couple more folks to know what the mission and vision is. Everybody in my department must understand it."

The chief asked students to raise their hand if they or anyone they knew had been a victim of violent crime. 

When nearly everyone in the room raised their hand, she paused before stating "That is unacceptable ... that shakes me to my core."

Students also had the chance to take the microphone and ask questions directly to her. 

"Has anyone ever been openly racist to you?" asked one student. 

"Yes," the chief replied. "But we all have biases, but I had to overcome that. If I allowed someone who was openly racist to me to shut me down, I wouldn't be here today, I really wouldn't."

She continued, "I truly know if I would've allowed open racism toward me to dictate where I went and what I did and my positions in my career field, I wouldn't be here today. I had to rise above that."

Another student asked if the chief approved of the justice system, to which she replied, "Very good question. Let me be very clear, LMPD is just one part of the justice system. The whole justice system must work together to make sure we are not working in vain and we keep everybody safe. Sometimes we have differences of opinion within the justice system as far as who should be doing what and what does that look like."

LMPD's chief speaks at Grace James Academy

LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel spoke with JCPS students at Grace James Academy about her journey in leadership and serving as Kentucky's first permanent Black female police chief. (WDRB Image)

Gwinn-Villaroel continued, "I need to ensure that LMPD is solid as to how we are policing you and your expectations of us as your department. That's why I'm here today, to hear from you and just listen to you. So yes, there are some things in the justice system I don't agree with, things we've got to do better because it matters."

When another student inquired if Gwinn-Villaroel had always aspired to be chief, she said no.

"I just wanted to be a great officer. I needed for people to actually want to follow me whether I had a title or not," she continued. "I never saw 'Chief' in my journey. I just wanted to be successful in wherever I landed. That's something you should embrace as well. It's not about a title, but 'Are you good at what you're doing?'"

The chief also encouraged the room of girls to command respect regardless of their gender. 

"You cannot act in a manner that is disrespectful to your own self but then demand respect from somebody else," she said. "No one should ever say I gave you something, they should always say you earned it."

Inside the auditorium, the chief told students about LMPD's commitment to the 30X30 initiative. It aims to have 30% more women in the department by 2030. According to the chief, LMPD is "on track" to meet that goal. 

After hearing the chief speak, eighth grader Rania Aljaf said she hoped it would encourage more girls who looked like her to pursue careers in law enforcement.

"I hope that more women and women of color get into those fields because I know they would know all these struggles and stuff and I feel they would help improve LMPD," Aljaf said. 

Aljaf also said she valued hearing the chief speak openly about her own experiences with racism. 

"It made me think back to some of my experiences and how later in life I can use her knowledge to help me get going," she said. 

Gravatte agreed, adding that she thought having a Black female chief would help a lot when it comes to increasing diversity. 

"She's looking for more talent in African American girls and African Americans in general so I do think it's going to help with diversity," she said. 

To learn more about open positions within LMPD, click here. 

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