LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After the Department of Justice report on LMPD cited a number of problems, including excessive use of force, the Louisville Metro Council voted in April to support voluntary training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Councilman Jeff Hudson (R-23) believes the resolution, which encourages LMPD to spend $200,000 of already-budgeted money on expanded training for officers and gives them incentives, could help save the city money in the future. Hudson is a blue belt in jiu-jitsu.
"This is a much more responsible use of taxpayer dollars because it returns value to the people," Hudson said. "And to the police force."
Jiu-jitsu training is designed for people to use leverage and position to get people under control, making it an ideal technique used by police when needing to make an arrest.
LMPD Major Nick Owen says he's applied the techniques in the field.
"You're trying to control somebody without doing harm to them," Owen said. "You're not seeing strikes. You're not seeing kicks. You're not seeing elbows. You're not seeing head butts."
Adam Miller is an instructor at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kentucky in Jeffersontown.
"Jiu-jitsu helps you become calm and cool under any circumstance," Miller said.
He says he has seen police officers from departments across the Louisville area at the training center.
LMPD Major Nick Owen says jiu-jitsu helps officers find ways to use position and leverage to control suspects. He supports the resolution.
"The more officers we can introduce to it, the better, the benefits the city is going to reap will be innumerable," Owen said.
Right now, LMPD offers limited jiu-jitsu training. This resolution says the program would expand but remain voluntary. Hudson says LMPD should be able to attend training classes "on-the-clock" as part of regular fitness. The resolution also says an officer should receive a pay bonus and a uniform patch indicating they've spent 100 hours in training.
Hudson argues adding more training will answer some of the recommendations from the DOJ report, which documented numerous instances of excessive force.
The councilman says jiu-jitsu won't solve all these problems but believes it could play a part in saving the city money.
"If jiu-jitsu training prevents at least one lawsuit from an escalation of force, it has more than paid for the entire program," Hudson said.
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