LOUISVILLE, Ky. — LMPD shared details of changes its special victims unit has made in how it handles rape cases to Metro Council's public safety committee Wednesday afternoon.
The committee asked Lt. Shannon Lauder, commander of the unit, to testify on how exactly they close sexual assault cases.
The request came in light of an investigation reported in December 2019, by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting of WFPL Radio.
The report looked into how LMPD and the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office handle cases. The KyCIR investigation found a disproportionate number of LMPD's reported rape cases were closed "by exception." The investigation found prosecutors were declining cases' ability to move forward.
Lt. Lauder Wednesday described LMPD and the prosecutor's office work closely together in deciding how cases should be handled in the court system. In her testimony to the public safety committee, Lauder suggested the numbers were "skewed" because many of the cases included in the reporting were closed because the victim didn't want it to move forward.
"In response to that we have created a new option to close cases titled 'victim request case closure,'" Lauder said. "That way cases are closed accurately but don't blame a victim that can't move forward and participate in her investigation."
Lauder said that change started July, 2019. She also said the decision to close rape cases was "with good intentions" in trying to "protect the victims."
Another change Lauder said LMPD would be making is the addition of more training for beat officers on how to handle sexual assault victims. She said the training would be "groundbreaking," in partnership with the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville.
"In understanding the neurology of trauma and how to better approach victims of sexual assault," Lauder said.
She said LMPD hopes to implement that in 2021.
Councilwoman Jessica Green, chair of the public safety committee, has experience prosecuting sex crimes. After hearing LMPD's hour-long testimony, she said she's happy the department is making changes, but isn't entirely satisfied with the handling of sexual assault cases.
"I don't want any victim in this city to feel as if they cannot come forward and to talk about them being victimized," Green said. "For me, the theme is we have to do better."
"All we can do is move forward from here and present truthful stories and arrests and information to better educate the public," Lauder said.
The public safety committee invited the Commonwealth Attorney's Office to also respond to the investigation, but a representative did not attend the hearing to testify.
More from WHAS11.com:
►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.