LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Metro Police Department will have $220 million to spend over the next year after Metro Council approved the city budget Thursday evening. 

It's Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's first budget, and he's said public safety is the No. 1 priority.

The money will go far beyond fighting crime. It will go towards training, recruitment and equipment upgrades — but those are just three pillars the police department is focusing on with this funding.

LMPD will spend $1 million on digital recruiting efforts, which changes how they reach out to potential new officers. The department has been facing an officer shortage, still down from pre-pandemic levels, as the city's homicide rate has increased.

"We need to hire 250 to 300 more officers as soon as possible, so that we have a large enough team at LMPD to focus on community policing, engaging with the community," said Greenberg.

Councilman Scott Reed said the hope is that instead of other cities taking trained officers from Louisville, LMPD can bring some to Louisville.

"We need to be marketing the city of Louisville and the great opportunity it would be to be an LMPD officer," said Reed, R-16. "So I don't know, in the past, that's been as important or emphasized as I believe it is now."

Reed said with more officers, that also means more traffic stops to keep streets safer and have more of a presence. 

The funding will also spend more than $1 million to add more license plate readers, which capture plate data and other data from passing vehicles, to be installed in high-crime rate areas in the hopes of giving neighbors a sense of safety.

Funding will also replace cameras in the Real Time Crime Center. Another $1.5 million will replace protective gear.

LMPD will spend $2 million to add 30 positions, such as additional trainers and warrant specialists who can review search warrants, which was among the recommendations by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Greenberg wanted more money for the department's deflection program, which started last year and sends 911 calls to mental health professionals. The program is now available in every LMPD division.

"So it gives the individual in their own crisis better service and it frees up police resources so they can be focused on preventing violent crime and responding when necessary," said Greenberg.

Right now, mental health professionals are only available from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. But Greenberg hopes the additional money will allow LMPD to hire more people to allow for 24/7 service.

Elishia Durrett Johnson is the CEO of Begin to Talk, and a mental health professional herself. She's encouraged by the program, and hopes the hiring, and the responses, can answer the needs for certain communities.

"Someone who is culturally competent, environmentally competent, understanding of the area, of the social constructs, of everything else that goes on with the human being, right? When you understand that, you're able to give a holistic service to someone," she said.

Durrett Johnson is part of an event that is being held Saturday June 24 to promote improving mental health. The Healing Block Party will give people the space to a break, prioritize themselves, and engage in self care or healing activities. There will be parenting breakout sessions, trainings, live entertainment, fun for kids, and access to more than 70 vendors that promote self-care and healthy living.

The Healing Block Party goes from 12-6 p.m. on Saturday and will be held at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in west Louisville.

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