Statement From Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer

Press release from the City of Louisville:

October 6, 2020

Statement from Mayor Greg Fischer:

"A resolution has been filed with Metro Council to formalize an agreement on a short-term contract between Louisville Metro Government (LMG) and the River City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The contract provides a salary increase and change in benefits, which we believe is necessary to have the most talented force possible – helping to retain good officers actively being courted by other agencies, and to draw more quality applicants, including more minority applicants.

"The loss of good officers, who can mentor our young officers, and the difficulty we have attracting a diverse pool of applicants are pressing issues that we needed to address to maintain public safety. Just as important, though, is our commitment to reimagine public safety altogether, which is why this contract will run only to June 30, 2021. The city and FOP have committed to begin negotiating a new agreement no later than January 31, 2021, reflective of our community’s demand for reform.

"And we need to hear the community’s views as we move forward. Between now and June 2021, we will have completed the top-to-bottom review of the Louisville Metro Police Department and hired a new chief – these are two important steps where we are actively seeking community input. In addition, because some elements of police reform will require changes in state law, we are asking the community to help us work with the General Assembly to act on those when its next legislative session begins in January.

"My commitment is to listen to the people and to make reforms to address the challenge of police legitimacy and trust, including steps to diversify LMPD to better represent the community it serves and to foster a culture that promotes transparency and accountability."

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