Written by: Maxwell Mitchell www.staylivestreams.com
A press conference took place inside of the Mayors Gallery on the fourth floor at 527 W. Jefferson St. Speakers included Mayor Greenberg, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey. Below is a brief summary of what they discussed.
The Department of Justice is holding a virtual public information session to share more about the Decree and talk about next steps on December 16 at 7:30PM EST. They ask that you share this invitation with anyone who may be interested in joining: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_O8uZMp10QZaMqSLP1bix2Q#/registration. ASL and Spanish Interpretation will be provided.
Greenberg made it appoint that he and his administration did not wait unlike other cities who are currently under consent decrees. These cities include:
• Springfield, Massachusetts: Resolution date of April 13, 2022
• Chicago, Illinois: Resolution date of January 31, 2019
• Baltimore, Maryland: Resolution date of April 7, 2017
• Newark, New Jersey: Resolution date of May 5, 2016
• Ferguson, Missouri: Following the murder of Michael Brown
• Minneapolis, Minnesota: Following the murder of George Floyd
As of last week, now, Louisville, Kentucky following the murder of Breonna Taylor and a long list of infractions that can be read in the DOJ Findings document.
You can hear more about that press conference at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/maxwellamitchell/videos/598245865687115
Greenberg thanked those who demanded change and, in his words, ‘staying the course on that long road toward these reforms. Your willingness to demand meaningful and lasting change helped bring us to this moment’. After hearing this, many wondered would he then help drop the protest charges of those who are still facing them, those who are still going through hardships and those who he thanked at a press conference Thursday morning? (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGvr79-OWE) Mayor Greenberg went on to ensure that RFP will post applications for independent monitors and will hit the web soon. Many are looking to make sure that process has a heavier community involvement unlike the process that led to the signed and agreed upon decree between Louisville Metro Government, Louisville Metro Police Department and the Department of Justice.
Paul Humphrey, Chief of Louisville Metro Police
Chief Humphrey started his speech by attempting to remind those in attendance of some of the things that an officer deals with on any given day. Chief Humphrey went on to say that he does not focus on the department’s shortcomings, rather the positive things the department and its officers have done.
General Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney
General Kristen Clarke reminded those in attendance and those watching live streams of just some of the infractions that the Louisville Metro Police Department were found to be in violation of. General Clarke went on to outline some of the specific provisions within the Consent Decree.
Under the decree the Louisville Police Department will…
1. Revise use of force policies in training. New policies will ensure that officers deploy de-escalation strategies to limit dangerous tactics and refrain from using force to punish or retaliate against people.
2. Improve its residential search warrant practices, this includes safeguards on the use of confidential informants. Thorough review of search warrant applications. Also, safe and lawful tactics during warrant executions.
3. Ensure that its stops, searches and arrests are constitutional and that its enforcement practices do not discriminate based on race.
4. Development alternatives to arrests and citations of minor issues like broken taillights.
5. Strengthen its responses to and investigations of sexual assault and domestic violence including investigations into alleged officer sexual misconduct.
6. Include their response to public demonstrations and protests that are critical of policing.
7. Improve training, supervision and accountability systems for officers. They will ensure fair and objective investigations of alleged misconduct and continue to support civilian oversight in Louisville.
8. Provide non-police responses to situations involving behavioral health crisis or unhoused people in situations that don’t require a police response.
You can stay live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGvr79-OWE. Find the Consent Decree here: https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1379951/dl.
