LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a forum titled "The DOJ Report: The Way Forward," Frazier History Museum officials facilitated a discussion between community members and Louisville leaders.
Brandon Lincoln, vice president for the Fraternal Order of Police in Louisville, talked about some aspects of the DOJ's report the group is challenging, including the scrutiny of search warrants. He added the report was a "shock", but he said he hasn't seen the things the report details.
Lincoln said the FOP stands for transparency and it's "not trying to protect bad entities or actors."
"Maybe it's because your job, the FOP, y'all are the ones who create the loopholes so that these officers can go out here and kill people, like Breonna Taylor," Aprile Hearn, an activist with BreeWayy, said.
Several speakers voiced similar concerns with the FOP contract; they want the negotiations to be open to the public.
The new interim Louisville Urban League President, Lyndon Pryor, said having FOP contract negotiations without being allowed in the room is a "performance without substance."
"Police will always get to come back to a document that allows them to do behavior that we know is inconsistent with what the community wants," Pryor said.
Greenberg said the DOJ advised his administration that none of its recommendations require changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
When asked how to regain trust, Gwinn-Villaroel said, "it starts with me. It starts with me being engaged, me going out and being more involved in the community, and I do that."
"First and foremost, if an officer screws up, holding them accountable swiftly, quickly," Lincoln said.
Raoul Cunningham, president of Louisville's NAACP chapter, said the meeting showed promise, but it must be followed with action.
"The police negotiations for a contract, they've got to be opened up in order to bring about some trust in the community, in order for the community to know what's going on, when it's going on," he said.
However, some felt that the forum changed nothing.
"No matter what we do to try to mend the relationship between the police and the community, we get pushback," Cheyenne Osuala, community activist, said.
Osuala said she's weary of change because of an ongoing lawsuit against an officer. She was arrested in July 2020 and said the officer broke her wrist in the process. Osuala said her charges were dropped but has not heard back about the complaint she filed with LMPD.
During the forum, Inspector General Ed Harness talked about the newly signed agreement giving them more access to LMPD officers and body cam footage. When someone asked about subpoena power, Harness said he suspects the consent decree will address that.
While Greenberg said he and his administration has heard the community and implemented some policy changes, he said there are a few things they disagree with.
One of them is taking the language out of the police contract that disallows mass firings. Greenberg said Louisville needs more officers.
Greenberg added the city doesn't need to make any budget cuts to afford the consent decree. The LMPD budget will increase based on the DOJ's findings, but he said he also plans to increase funding for parks, historically Black Colleges and Universities, and more.
Activist Jaime Hendricks said "I think we have a long way to go" and that "they need to start including the community, the real community."
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