LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mayor Craig Greenberg has announced Louisville has signed a consent decree agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after nine months of negotiations.
The agreement comes a year after the DOJ's blistering report into the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), which found routine constitutional rights violations that disproportionately affected Black citizens.
Consent decrees are legally binding agreements and will require a list of reforms within LMPD and guide changes to policy and procedure for the foreseeable future. The agreement can also be quite costly, with cities spending millions of dollars each year and lasting for several years -- all funded by the city's taxpayers.
Louisville's agreement is unique in that it caps the annual cost of oversight from an independent monitor and has a clear exit strategy after five years.
Once a monitor is chosen, Louisville will pay a maximum of $1.475 million per year for the initial first two years.
The document said the monitor will submit a proposed budget annually to the court for approval. It will also be sent to the DOJ and Metro Government 30 days prior so both can review it to ensure it meets the monitor's duties in a "timely, reasonable and cost-effective manner.
Read Louisville's full 248-page consent decree agreement:
Can't access the above PDF embed? Click here to read the full document.
The agreement includes sections regarding LMPD's use of force, executing search warrants, street enforcement, responding to individuals with behavioral health disabilities, officer and employee support, misconduct investigations and much more.
DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke said the community will continue to help with implementation of the consent decree. She said the DOJ is confident LMPD will be able to satisfy the requirements of the agreement.
"At the end of the process, we expect that the Louisville police department will be a model police department and a shining example of constitutional policing," Clarke added.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or X feed.