LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The agreement that could dictate the future of Louisville Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police may take several months to finalize, according to Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell.
At a weekly round table hosted by prominent Bishop Dennis Lyons, O'Connell revealed it could take anywhere from a "year to a year and a half" for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the city to finalize the terms of a consent decree — which was agreed upon in principle following the DOJ report's release.
The DOJ's findings concluded LMPD routinely violates people's constitutional rights. The consent decree would put the city under federal watch for the foreseeable future.
On Friday, a packed house inside Gospel Missionary Church asked O'Connell questions, including where the County Attorney's Office stands in the negotiations.
"We've never been through one of these, but we've consulted and looked into cities that are currently under consent decrees," O'Connell said.
O'Connell was the special guest speaker at the discussion that consistently hosts city leaders, police and members of the community who come together to discuss topical issues.
This week's top conversation: The fact that federally-mandated reforms are coming to the city.
The question now is when?
"The negotiation part of it is about ready to start and I've been told that that can take up to a year or longer at least going from what's happened in other cities," O'Connell told WHAS11 News.
The DOJ's findings came with 36 recommended remedial changes, including creating new training for use-of-force within LMPD, improving policies regarding search warrant requests, and enhancing supervision and discipline when violations are reported.
O'Connell said the vast number of reforms are why this negotiating process will take some time.
"It's going to be a really sweaty, tough process to get through, and then it ultimately will be taken down to a federal district court judge who will then preside over the enforcement of it," he said. "Right now, it's both sides kind of getting their teams together, of people who are going to be the ones in the room with the door closed and things like that."
Community leaders tell WHAS11 News that they want to be in that room for the conversation.
We brought their desires to Mayor Craig Greenberg's office, asking if it's possible.
They responded in a statement, saying:
“The Department of Justice has informed us these negotiations will be exclusively between Metro Government and the DOJ and they do not permit third parties into the negotiations.
Next week DOJ officials will be in Louisville hosting community discussions as they seek the public’s input before the negotiations begin.”
So, for now, the community's best bet will be to give their input when the DOJ comes to town next week. O'Connell says consent decree negotiations between the city and the DOJ won't begin until those public community meetings are finished.
If you'd like to attend and learn more about the DOJ's next steps, find the dates and times here.
Note: A second community meeting had been added, which will be at Central High School on Thursday, April 13, from 6-7:30 p.m.
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Contact reporter Isaiah Kim-Martinez at ikimmartin@whas11.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@isaiah_km) and Facebook.