LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said his team is in Washington D.C. this week to continue consent decree negotiations face-to-face.
At Monday night's Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together (CLOUT) meeting, Greenberg elaborated on the ongoing negotiation process.
"I'm as eager as anyone else in this room, anyone else in the city, to complete this process, to move forward, and to just focus not on negotiating a document, but on meaningful work of reform," he said.
Greenberg also said he's spoken personally to U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark several times.
The negotiation process began in February, 11 months after the DOJ found the Louisville Metro Police Department engaged in practices that violated federal law for years.
The federal investigation into LMPD cited 63 different incidents of alleged misconduct, according to an appendix of a 90-page report the U.S. Department of Justice released following their roughly two-year investigation into LMPD. By 2022, at least nine officers had been convicted in federal court and several more cases are pending.
Examples of excessive force provided in the first section of the appendix include the use of neck restraints and police dogs against "people who pose no threat," an "unreasonable and unsafe" use of tasers, using takedowns, strikes and bodily force "disproportionate to threat or resistance," and escalating encounters, leading to excessive force.
The DOJ ordered Louisville's police department to enter a consent decree. The oversight agreement sets tangible requirements for change, metrics to measure improvement and timelines to achieve them. It's all approved by a federal judge, legally binding and then overseen by a independent monitor who must regularly report progress or any problems to the public.
Greenberg has previously said the agreement would be finalized early Fall, but did not specify an end date Monday night.
The negotiations have been confidential, leaving the public in the dark. As election day approaches, the future of consent decrees are in question.
Under previous President Donald Trump's administration, then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions put a halt on consent decrees.
The President Joe Biden White House re-launched the police reform tool and LMPD was one of the first DOJ cases, sparked by the police killing of Breonna Taylor.
At LMPD's bi-weekly press conference on Oct. 16, WDRB asked if the prolong negotiation was strategic, and if the department was waiting out the election, knowing if Trump wins the level of oversight could be reduced or even go away.
LMPD simply said, "the answer is no."
Previous Coverage:
- Louisville representatives travel to Washington to negotiate terms of police reform with DOJ
- LMPD reveals reforms being made after Department of Justice mandated changes
- 'I want to be hopeful' | Residents push for real change as LMPD, DOJ consent decree negotiations continue
- Process to reverse bad policing practices in Louisville began 1 year ago with release of DOJ report
- City of Louisville, LMPD officials begin negotiations with DOJ for police reforms
- Louisville police chief testifies DOJ consent decree is in a 'holding pattern,' negotiations haven't begun
- City fights to keep Department of Justice findings out of lawsuits against Louisville police
- LMPD chief says 'many' officers cited in DOJ probe were previously disciplined, but no further investigations
- Greenberg releases details of Louisville police incidents reviewed by DOJ
- 'All we want is justice' | DOJ meets with community members about policing in Louisville
- DOJ investigation cites more than 60 different examples of alleged misconduct by Louisville police
- Calls for more information before LMPD, DOJ negotiate agreement to improve policing in Louisville
- Former Louisville police chief agrees with many items in DOJ report
- 10 years into their consent decree, New Orleans police say Louisville has long road ahead
- Former LMPD officers say changes to department after DOJ probe could take some time
- Louisville police union says DOJ report is 'unfair assessment' of most Louisville police
- Victims of LMPD policing react to federal investigation findings as they continue rebuilding their lives
- What's next: Federal probe prompts mandated reforms in LMPD
- Department of Justice issues scathing report into Louisville police practices
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