LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a 15-10 vote, Louisville Metro Council passed the new LMPD use of force policy.
Some council members, along with interim police Chief Yvette Gentry, argue an ordinance is unnecessary.
"This is not the community versus LMPD. We all want police officers that protect and serve our community," community organizer of 10 years Richard Whitlock Jr. said. "I was beaten by the police when I was 19 years old and I was just glad that I kept consciousness."
Whitlock believes the new reforms will help the city start healing.
"No one can justify or even make sense that I should lose my rights because the police decided to be rough with me," Whitlock said.
Some of the restrictions include banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation and exhausting verbal warning before shooting.
Councilman Brandon Coan serving district 8 is one of the main sponsors.
"It'll dramatically reduce potential violent conflict between police officers and citizens which can result in either of them or both of them being hurt," Coan said.
The legislation was recommended not to pass by the Public Safety Committee. Gentry said she is worried the ordinance will take away discretion from future chiefs.
"These are very simple guardrails to protect citizens from the use of excessive force against them," Coan said.
Former Kentucky State Trooper Alex Payne said this is an opportunity for city leaders and the police department to work together.
"Police department can step up and educate them on the issues that surround that particular problem, on the other hand I think the police department can also learn from Metro Council like here are the things we’re hearing from our people," Payne said.
But he said policies mean nothing without good practice.
"When you talk about use of force and policies you cannot expect the people on the street to do and perform up to these policies unless you train them," he said.
Payne said the two keys are knowledge and reference.
"When a use of force situation occurs you can't call time out and go check with a supervisor and kind of clear what you need to do – no you need to know what your options are," Payne said. "You need to know how to perform those options because those options are joined at the hip with physical tactics."
Yvette Gentry's full statement on the ordinance:
“Resolving conflicts while using the least amount of force is the cornerstone of our progression of force model. Last night, Metro Council passed an ordinance obligating the Chief of LMPD, present and future, to include several elements in the policies and procedures regulating the conduct of department members. These elements are centered around department members’ use of force and are intended to improve community interactions with police. I’m happy to report, almost all these elements already appear in our standard operating procedures. Any not already appearing, will be added as required in the ordinance.
While there is a lot of activity around evaluation and recommendation into changes in LMPD policy, I want the public to understand, and I hope the council will develop some appreciation for, the importance of direct supervision and practices. LMPD has always been ahead of the curve on progressive policy. There have been occasions when things have gone wrong. Part of this is the human element, the inherit danger of policing and the way leadership responds to policy violations. The original version of the ordinance we received from council had recommendations that could potentially have increased or authorized an increase in the use of deadly force. I want to ensure we never undervalue the importance of seeking input from subject matter experts, who include law enforcement professionals with experience in the practical application of policies. At one point there was a version that prohibited chest compressions, which are a huge part of our lifesaving CPR efforts.
I will admit, assuming complete responsibility for our actions, while policies are being dictated by other people, is of grave concern to me. I still believe the council and I have the same goals in mind despite our differences in determining how we get there.
I will continue to focus on making sure we respond appropriately to the needs of our community in the safest, most inclusive way possible.
Chief Yvette Gentry
Louisville Metro Police Department”
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