LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville mayor said a new police chief may be announced soon.
During Tuesday's Mayor's Night Out, Mayor Craig Greenberg said he hopes to have an announcement by the end of July and that they will be interviewing candidates in the coming weeks.
The event at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is an opportunity for community members to speak directly to the mayor and other city leaders about any concerns or ideas.
One concern addressed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organizations before the event was the discussion of a new jail.
They argued more money should go toward community programs.
"We're not in a crisis where we need another jail. We're in a crisis where we need to support community partnerships. We need to support communities that are trying to take care of themselves and we need to hold these larger organizations accountable," one demonstrator said.
While there are no formal plans for a new jail, a report by former FBI agent David Beyer recommended a new facility to solve many of the jail's problems.
"We've already started to take action. We have a new program that provides additional mental health screening for individuals who are coming into the jail for the first time," Greenberg said. "We're working to support more programs, so that individuals that are getting released have more access to social services and other programs so they can be successful when they are released from jail. That is our focus right now."
Greenberg said they're using that report to make improvements through new programs.
The next Mayor's Night Out is scheduled for Sept. 12 at the Jefferson County Government Center.
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