LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is now one step closer to being under the federal government's watch following the Department of Justice's (DOJ) scathing report into the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD).
In the 86-page report released last March, the DOJ found “reasonable cause” to believe the city and LMPD engage in patterns and practices of conduct depriving people of their rights. The city is now relying on the federal government to provide a roadmap of reform to rebuild trust between the community and LMPD through the use of the consent decree.
Consent decrees are agreements between the federal government and a local government to implement change. A federal judge monitors progress and determines compliance.
On Thursday, Mayor Craig Greenberg said city officials met with the DOJ to receive and review the first draft of Louisville's consent decree and begin preliminary negotiations.
According to Greenberg, the DOJ has advised Metro Government that the draft must be kept confidential.
"I am planning to be as transparent as the United States Department of Justice will allow us to be," he said. "I will simply say, stay tuned."
The ACLU of Kentucky released a statement Tuesday.
“As the negotiation phase of the consent decree process begins, the ACLU of Kentucky is once again amplifying the importance of meaningful community involvement in the process,” said ACLU-KY Executive Director Amber Duke. "There is a very long road ahead for broad-scale reform of LMPD’s policies, practices, and training. Including the voices and ideas of directly impacted community members in this process is the only way we can hope for any level of healing from the horrific abuses suffered.”
While consent decrees can bring positive reforms, they can be costly and in some ways can eventually stifle the police departments they're meant to help -- if they extend too long.
Last year, WHAS11 traveled to New Orleans to see how its police department has operated under a consent decree for several years and the challenges they've faced.
Here's the warnings, and lessons, they hope Louisville leaders take into negotiations:
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