LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Numerous community members responded after the Department of Justice announced Wednesday it's dropping Louisville's proposed consent decree.
Lyndon Pryor, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, said while he’s not surprised, he is disappointed by the DOJ's decision. He said the Louisville Metro Police Department has earned the decree and wants to see action.
The Justice Department agreed on a consent decree with the Louisville Metro Government late last year during the last days of the Biden administration, coming off a report detailing a pattern of racial discrimination by Louisville’s police force. The multiyear federal investigation was prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor and the treatment of demonstrators during street protests in 2020.
A consent decree is a legally binding agreement between parties in a lawsuit that resolves a dispute without going to trial.
“I think that cannot be lost, and again, no matter what the DOJ says, LMPD earned the consent decree," Pryor said. "They did the wrong. They did the harm. They inflicted that pain on the community, and those things need to be repaired."
"That is going to be an important part of this moving forward, is not losing sight of why we are here in the first place."
State Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, said while the decision was expected, it didn’t absolve the hurt.
"It's not going to be a change overnight. It's not going to be a change in six months; what we have seen in this community did not happen overnight."“It's going to be hard, and it's going to be work," Herron said. "It's not going to be a change overnight. It's not going to be a change in six months; what we have seen in this community did not happen overnight."
"What I ask of the people of this community, especially my constituents, is that we have to work together. This is the time for us to come together and figure out what is best for all people in the City of Louisville."
She’s looking forward to working with Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, to find a path forward.
During a Wednesday morning news conference, Greenberg and Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey unveiled "Community Commitment: Louisville’s Consent Decree." The agreement between Louisville Metro Government, LMPD and residents includes all the objectives in the previously negotiated consent decree with the DOJ and establishes the accountability measures necessary to improve public safety.
“I think the biggest thing we have to figure out is, how are we reviewing these things in real time?" Herron said. "We can't wait for a year later to say that this has happened or hasn't happened."
Louisville Metro Councilmember Tammy Hawkins, D-District 1, said the city is losing hope.
“We need LMPD to be accountable for their actions," Hawkins said. "We know that there are some good actors, but we also know that there are still some bad actors that were not let go."
In a statement issued Wednesday, the 12 Republican members of Louisville Metro's Minority Caucus said they welcome the DOJ's decision.
"In December, we argued that efforts to bring real and lasting reforms to policing within our community is best accomplished by persons closely associated to this community rather than out-of-town, federally appointed persons who benefit from a slow and more costly consent decree, and who have no accountability to the people of Louisville," the Louisville Metro Minority Caucus said in a statement.
The mayor said he has earmarked $750,000 in next year’s budget for an independent monitor. Once the monitor is selected, the contract will be renewable annually for up to five years.
