Louisville mayor nominates Ed Harness to serve 2nd term as city's inspector general

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Thursday that he nominated Inspector General Ed Harness, the first person to hold that position in the city's history, to a second term.

Harness was unanimously approved as the city's first inspector general in November 2021, tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct between the Louisville Metro Police Department and the public.

"Our purpose is a safe and prosperous Louisville," Harness said during a news conference downtown Thursday. "Constitutional policing creates a safer Louisville."

Louisville Metro Police released a written statement after Greenberg's announcement, saying independent oversight from the Office of Inspector General aligns with the department's commitment to transparency and public trust.

"We value collaboration with the OIG and look forward to continuing to work with Ed Harness and his team," LMPD said. "Their role helps ensure our work reflects community expectations and the highest standards of integrity."

Metro Council will still need to approve Harness' second term after Greenberg's nomination.

Harness also leads the Metro Council Civilian Review and Accountability Board, created in the wake of the Breonna Taylor shooting. While the accountability board can make recommendations for change, it doesn't have the ability to impose any discipline. The 11-member citizen board was a key reform promised by then-Mayor Greg Fischer and approved by Metro Council in November 2020 in the months after the Breonna Taylor shooting.

Greenberg also said Thursday that Harness and his office will now report to Misty Wright, his executive director of community safety. This change came after David James, who previously served a deputy mayor under Greenberg, left that post to become the new Jefferson County sheriff upon John Aubrey's death.

Harness' contract was to expire in November and he previously told WDRB he'd been told his chances of his contract being renewed were "slim." He said he didn't exactly know why that was the prevailing belief and pointed out he has had a good relationship with the mayor's office.

"We've done everything that we are supposed to under the ordinance, and we've done a good job," he said in an August interview. "I don't think there is any reason I shouldn't be appointed, honestly."

Harness also said he had been having trouble getting responses to his recommendations from all three of the Louisville police chiefs who have served since he was appointed.

Earlier this year, he described his relationship with Humphrey as "cold" after remarks from the chief vehemently criticized Harness and the Civilian Review and Accountability Board's findings that an officer violated policy in a fatal shooting. Humphrey later called for a "healthy and functioning relationship" between LMPD and the OIG "so that we can get good feedback and they give good information to the public about what we're doing."

"I think we need to open up more communication channels with the department so that ... there should be an avenue to accomplish as opposed formalizing everything through one communication channel," Harness said Thursday.

No one from LMPD was present at Thursday morning's news conference, with Humphrey out of town at a conference. Asked if there is an expectation of better communication between the OIG and LMPD moving forward, Greenberg said it's been addressed and there will be a "stronger working relationship" in the months and years ahead.

"The chief and I have talked about that," Greenberg said. "The chief is very aware of this decision that I made."

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