Work group holds meeting, seeks public input for Louisville's new police Civilian Review Board

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Community leaders are brainstorming how to put together the city's new civilian review board, which will be tasked with investigating the Louisville Metro Police Department.

A 33-member work group held a virtual discussion Friday afternoon about how the review board should work. The work group was created in May in response to calls for more independent, civilian-led review of LMPD in the wake of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor during a police raid on her apartment.

You can watch the discussion on WDRB News' Facebook page. To review a draft of the group's ordinance creating the civilian review board, click here.

The current draft is a blend of three different oversight models that group members have researched in other communities: an auditor, investigator and review model. The preliminary plan for Louisville calls for a paid inspector general position that "serves as staff to the volunteer board." The board would have the ability to investigate specific LMPD incidents and to review broader policies.

According to the ordinance draft, the inspector general has the authority to investigate any alleged incident involving an LMPD member and:

The serious injury or death of any individual in police custody
The serious injury or death of any individual resulting from police action
Abuse of police authority
Excessive use of force
Discrimination
Sexual misconduct

During Friday's meeting, work group members discussed topics like the independence and power of the board, how much the inspector general should be paid and the qualifications needed for the position. The current draft of the ordinance says the inspector general, who would be appointed by the mayor and approved by Metro Council, must have law enforcement experience but cannot have current or past affiliation with LMPD.

Many work group members voiced questions or concerns over the current expectation that the civilian review board would not replace the existing LMPD Public Integrity Unity (PIU), which conducts criminal investigations of department members.

"I was thinking that PIU would continue to work, because at the point in time when the inspector general or PIU determines that a criminal charge is necessary, we're gonna need law enforcement to proceed with that prosecution," said Ingrid Geiser, criminal division director of Jefferson County Attorney's Office. "We're not talking about making the inspector general law enforcement, so there's going to have to be some type of law enforcement who would be taking out that charge in order for prosecution to occur."

Metro Council approved $763,500 of the city’s budget, to create the new civilian review board.

The work group hopes to have its ordinance draft finalized by July 31. After it's finalized, the ordinance will be sent to a Metro Council committee for review.

You can share you thoughts on the proposed ordinance with the work group on its page on the Metro Government website. Your feedback will be reviewed by members of the work group.

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