LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's path toward selecting an independent monitor to oversee police reform is moving forward.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday the city got applications from across the nation.
"We received several applications from around the country from police reform groups that were interested in serving as the independent monitors," Greenberg said. "Our scoring team conducted interviews with the teams that applied, and we've chosen two finalists to potentially serve as Louisville's independent monitor."
The mayor said those finalists will be introduced during a public meeting at the Republic Bank Foundation YMCA next Monday, Sept. 15, from 6-7:30 p.m. The finalists will answer questions written down and submitted by attendees, who will hear directly from the finalists.
"The selection of an independent monitor is an essential part of the Community Commitment, and input from our community is vital," Greenberg said in a news release. "I encourage everyone to come meet the final teams and hear their responses to community questions as we work together to build an even safer, stronger and healthier Louisville for everyone."
The meeting will also be livestreamed on the city's YouTube page, here, for those unable to attend in person.
An online survey will be available for 24 hours after the meeting for the community to give their input before the city names the independent monitor.
Hiring an independent police monitor is part of the city's plan for police reform after the U.S. Department of Justice, under President Donald Trump's administration, dismissed two federal consent decrees—including Louisville's, in May. The sweeping police reform agreement was reached at the end of former President Joe Biden's administration, but needed court approval to progress—which had not yet been given.Â
Greenberg and Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey have pledged to continue with the improvements recommended by the DOJ, even if they're not mandated by court order. The plan is to do so by implementing the city's version of the agreement called "Community Commitment — Louisville's Consent Decree."Â
In June, Metro Council narrowly approved a resolution endorsing the consent decree recommendations in a 248-page DOJ report in 2023 that concluded Louisville police and Metro government for years engaged in practices that violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law, including excessive use of force and searches based on invalid warrants.
The Biden administration's Justice Department reported the findings of its review March 8, 2023, nearly two years after the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor, which prompted both local and national criticism of the police department as well as months of protests.
The city collected data from community meetings and an online survey to help shape what qualities the city is looking for in an independent monitor, which is expected to be a group of people—likely a law firm or organization with a background in law enforcement oversight.Â
The monitor will track reforms and report to the public on progress during scheduled briefings and through a dedicated section on LMPD's website. The monitor will also provide reports regularly to the new Community Safety Commission—which is part of the Safe Louisville crime reduction plan.
The application period for the independent monitor position opened in July and closed Aug. 4.
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