LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Several changes have been made to a plan aiming to provide more accountability and oversight of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). However, the plan was not approved by Louisville Metro Council during its meeting Wednesday night.
The 18-page proposed ordinance details the powers of both a civilian review board and an Office of the Inspector General and gives specific guidelines for who can serve in those roles and how long their terms would last.
Councilwoman Paula McCraney, (D-7), leading the charge with the ordinance creating the board, said some councilmembers are "grandstanding" by adding amendments to the document she, and a civilian work group of 30 people, worked on for several months.
"My colleagues had so much opportunity to make the changes or weigh in on this legislation and they waited until the 11th hour to grandstand," she said. "I do not have time or the patience for that."
What's the proposed plan?
According to the ordinance, the mayor would appoint the inspector general from a list of three candidates and must be approved by Metro Council. The inspector general would serve a four year term and would be required to not have any previous or current affiliation with LMPD or any other Kentucky law enforcement agency.
The ordinance lays out that the civilian review board will consist of 11 members. All will be appointed by the mayor. Three members would be recommended by the Metro Council and four will be chosen by the mayor. Four members will also be nominated by select community organizations including the Louisville Urban League, the ACLU of Kentucky, and the Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition (IMC).
The mayor will also appoint the inspector general, who will be responsible for investigating complaints against police officers. That will include conduct resulting in death or serious injury, as well as issues including excessive use of force or sexual misconduct. The inspector general will also be tasked with reviewing LMPD policies, procedures, and any complaints filed against the department or its officers.
In reviewing cases, the inspector general will then present to the civilian review board its findings and the board will determine whether the complaint should be investigated. The board will also be responsible for recommending changes to policy or police training.
Changes made during Wednesday's meeting
One of the amendments, which passed in a 4-3 vote Wednesday, raised the number of hours civilian review board members need to spend shadowing LMPD officers. It was proposed by formed officer Councilman Mark Fox, (D-13), who said it's necessary for future board members to understand the roles of officers.
"I don't think its an overreach when you're asking the folks on this board to make the level of decisions that they're going to be asked to make," he said. "I think people need to be exposed day and night to what our officers are exposed to and they need to see it in varying parts of the city so they get a very good grasp before they start their very important work."
Another amendment proposed by Councilman James Peden, (R-23), which also passed in a 4-3 vote, adds three law enforcement entities to the list of groups able to recommend members for the board. Those include the Kentucky Association for Chiefs of Police, the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Kentucky and the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council. Anyone recommended for the board will be up for consideration by the mayor, who will ultimately pick members.
"If we don't like whoever is recommended for this position we don't have to approve them and keeping the requirements for the job fairly broad, we have a lot of discretion, if we don't like who is presented we don't have to approve them," Councilman Bill Hollander, (D-9), said during the meeting. "I think this board and the OIG are very important so that we don't just have police policing themselves so I think this is moving in the wrong direction."
"Widening the net, how can that be a bad thing?" Fox said.
"There's no objection to someone with experience with law enforcement experience being on the board. The problem is trying to stack it or trying to suggest that body needs to be on a civilian review board because that defeats the entire purpose," McCraney said.
With the ordinance debated over several public safety committee meetings already and no vote taken, McCraney said she was "disappointed" in her colleagues.
"They're trying to make a statement that's political. There's nothing political about trying to do what's right by the citizens of this community," she said. "Putting politics before the people does not settle well with me."
McCraney said she still believes the legislation will be passed this year, despite very few council meetings remaining.
The public safety committee will likely hold a special meeting to reach a vote on the legislation in the coming weeks.
Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.
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