LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said a culture of “divisiveness” and “toxicity” permeates throughout the department in her resignation letter, which was obtained Tuesday by WHAS11.
Gwinn-Villaroel resigned on June 25 while on paid administrative leave following her alleged mishandling of a sexual harassment complaint within LMPD. She said her resignation came at the request of Mayor Craig Greenberg.
“I came here during challenging times for the agency and for the citizens wherein a wall of divisiveness between the men and women of LMPD, the citizens, media and the mayoral administration existed,” she wrote in the letter, which WHAS11 obtained through an open records request. “The divisiveness and subsequent toxicity were pervasive within LMPD.”
READ THE FULL LETTER:
Can't access the above PDF embed? Click here to read the full document.
Gwinn-Villaroel said the greatest challenge she faced in attempting to improve the culture at LMPD during her 11 months as chief was an “invasive presence of professional and ethical apathy.”
“The department’s longstanding cultural deficiencies permeated the agency, (per my observation) in a vertical and linear orientation emanating from certain members of leadership and filtering down to the rank-and-file positions, thus creating an apathetic professional malaise,” she wrote.
The former police chief said despite the “cultural deficiencies” and her resignation, she still believes LMPD is capable of being a world-class police department.
“I have met and talked with countless individuals who expressed newfound hope and optimism in the direction in which the department was heading,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. “Although I am aware that there is much work still to be done toward changing the culture at LMPD I resign my post as the head of this great department, I am not resigned to the belief that the citizen does not deserve the best LMPD has to offer.”
At a news conference on Tuesday, Greenberg said he would “let the letter speak for itself.”
“I believe that LMPD, our entire Metro Government, we have to continue to improve, we have to continue to earn the trust of the community every day of the year,” he added. “I believe we have made good progress in that regard, and we have to make more.”
Greenberg has since appointed Paul Humphrey, an 18-year LMPD veteran, to serve as the department's interim police chief.
According to Gwinn-Villaroel, her last day at the police department will be on Oct. 26, 2024. Last week, the mayor said she would be paid during that four month period. Gwinn-Villaroel also offered to consult on any disciplinary cases or litigation she was involved with for a fee of $125 an hour after that date.
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 Twitter feed.