Louisville Mayor Fischer Signs Ordinance Establishing Civilian Review And Accountability Board

Press release from the City of Louisville:

December 2, 2020

Mayor Greg Fischer today signed an ordinance that formally establishes the Civilian Review and Accountability Board and the Office of Inspector General, creating a new layer of independent review to Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) disciplinary matters.

“Today, we are taking a major step forward in our work to advance our goals of racial justice and equity, and to strengthen the trust between our police officers and the public they are sworn to serve and protect,” the Mayor said.

The creation of the new Board and the IG’s Office align with the Mayor’s racial equity plans in an Executive Order he signed yesterday declaring racism a public health crisis.

The new Civilian Review and Accountability Board will oversee the work of the IG’s Office, which will have the authority to investigate alleged incidents of improper conduct by any members of the LMPD with any member of the public. In addition to investigating complaints, duties of the IG’s Office include examining patterns and practices within LMPD; reviewing policies, procedures and operations; and providing recommendations on improving operations to the Mayor’s Office and Metro Council.

Potential disciplinary actions will remain the purview of the Chief of Police, but the work of the new Board and the IG’s Office can help inform that process.

Metro Councilwoman Paula McCraney (D-7) sponsored the ordinance after working with a group of community members to help bring more transparency and accountability to police discipline matters. She called today’s signing ‘historic.’

“There is no higher pursuit than to serve a cause greater than oneself. Today’s historic signing of the creation of the Civilian Review and Accountability Board and Office of Inspector General only comes from being committed to that greater good,” she said. “This legislation is critical because the police are the authoritative symbol of law and order and the general public is extremely sensitive to the slightest hint that police may be abusing their power and investigating themselves.”

McCraney added, “The work of the review board and Inspector General has the potential to restore respect and trust in the brave men and women who protect and serve us, and citizens can rest assured that allegations of police misconduct will be thoroughly investigated by another set of eyes other than internal police. I am honored to be a part of this great work that will bridge the gap between the perception and reality of law enforcement. It’s a great day for all citizens in the city of Louisville.”

Metro Councilman Bill Hollander (D-9) said creation of the new Board and IG’s Office are steps in the right direction.

“After many years of effort and with broad-based community work this year, we now have a robust, sustainable civilian oversight system for LMPD,” Hollander said. “I’m especially pleased with the creation of the Office of Inspector General, which can support the civilian board in reviews of LMPD policies, operations, patterns and practices, in addition to complaints.”

The city has contracted with executive search firm David Gomez Partners, based in Illinois, for a nationwide search for the Inspector General. Applications will be submitted through the firm, but in the meantime, interested applicants can send their resumes directly to Louisville Metro Government Human Resources. The Inspector General position is expected to be filled by early 2021. The IG and the eleven members of the new Board will be chosen by the Mayor’s Office and approved by the Metro Council. The Mayor ensured that the people who make up the Board will come from every corner of the city.

Members will receive education and training, including 24 hours of ride-alongs with police officers, to gain a better understanding of the nuanced issues and changing dynamics of police work in order to make fair and informed assessments and recommendations.

Current law enforcement officers, their families, as well as Louisville Metro Government employees and elected officials are not eligible to serve on the new Board. For those who are eligible, there are different paths to being nominated for service on the review board. Interested residents can nominate themselves by visiting https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayor-greg-fischer/interested-servin...

The Mayor noted that “this is just the latest in the public safety reforms we’ve been making for months.” Other actions include:

Signing Breonna’s Law, which banned no-knock warrants and expanded body camera requirements.
Hiring the consulting firm Hilliard Heintze to conduct a top-to-bottom review of LMPD’s policies and procedures, with a focus on equity and progressive law enforcement practices. Their review is expected to be completed and released in early January 2021.
Interviewing candidates as part of the nationwide search for a permanent Chief of Police. That announcement is expected later this month.
Working to incentivize officers to lives and volunteer in the communities they serve; recruit and retain more officers of color; and incorporate social workers into calls for service where appropriate.

While the city has made progress, the Mayor acknowledged “we have more to do. We have to find more ways to bring transparency and accountability to the police review process. And we have to do that with the understanding of how difficult, dangerous and necessary good police work is and how important good police officers are to our community.”

The ordinance to establish the new Board was approved by Metro Council in November by a nearly unanimous vote and is the product of the work group that the Mayor and Metro Council President David James established in May.

The Mayor closed today’s signing ceremony by thanking the more than 30 faith leaders, law enforcement representatives, community advocates and elected officials who served on the Civilian Review Board Work Group. “You’ve done incredible work for our city. Thanks especially to the co-chairs, Councilwoman Paula McCraney and Deputy Mayor Ellen Hesen.”

Details about the Civilian Review Work Group, including members, meetings, timeline and news, can be found at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayor-greg-fischer/louisville-civili....

This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.