Louisville Metro Police Department
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The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) began operations on January 6, 2003, as part of the creation of the consolidated city-county government in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It was formed by the merger of the Jefferson County Police Department and the Louisville Division of Police. The Louisville Metro Police Department has been headed by Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel since January 2, 2023. LMPD divides Jefferson County into eight patrol divisions and operates a number of special investigative and support units. The LMPD is currently negotiating a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequent to a 2023 investigation by the DOJ that concluded that the LMPD engaged in a decades long pattern of civil rights abuses.[2][3]
History
While the Louisville Metro Police Department began in 2003, its origins lie in two police departments dating back to the 1800s, the Jefferson County Police Department (JCPD) and the Louisville Division of Police (LPD).
Louisville Police Department
The Louisville Police Department, also known as the Louisville Division of Police, came into existence in 1806 with the appointment of five "watchmen" by the town's trustees. In 1821, a captain of the watch was appointed, directly responsible for crime prevention and the apprehension of criminals. The first Sergeant was hired in that year, whose primary duty was to see that the trustees' wishes were carried out.
In 1830, after the city government switched to a mayor-council arrangement, the position of captain was replaced by an elected "Marshall." In 1851, the mayor was put directly over the police. In 1856, a mayor-appointed office of Chief of Police was created, a position that earned $2,000 a year. The next year, the police force was reorganized in the image of modern police departments in the East, with the watchmen being called "policemen."
Following the
Divisions and districting came into use shortly thereafter, with two divisions and several districts (the number depended on the time of day) being established.
In 1891, the department first purchased bicycles to serve with mounted police. The practice of using bicycles would wane throughout the 20th century, but would see a revival in 1993 as they served as an effective alternative to motor vehicles. Three Cadillacs were purchased in November 1908 to address the problem of lawbreakers making getaways in the "horseless carriages." In 1932, the Louisville Police Department began using radios for dispatching units, only the fifth department in the nation to dispatch cars in this manner. Motorcycles were introduced shortly after the cars, but were discontinued in 1984 due to high maintenance costs.
Politics were part of the police department until 1929, when the state's Civil Service act prohibited discrimination on the basis of politics or religion. A Civil Service Board was established, consisting of three members of each political party with the mayor serving as a tiebreaker.
On May 20, 1921, Alice Dunlop became the first female officer in the Louisville Police Department, with
Decentralization of the department began in 1974. Traffic and detective bureaus remained in the Headquarters Building at Seventh and Jefferson, while other units were placed at various districts.
In 1982, the Louisville Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance allowing the mayor to remove the chief of police for specific reasons. The law was later amended to provide the mayor with the ability to both appoint and remove the chief, following the demotion of Chief Richard Dotson by Mayor Jerry Abramson in 1990.
On March 2, 2002
In 2003
In 2019 LMPD concealed hundreds of thousands of records relating to
The U. S. Department of Justice on April 26, 2021, issued a press release, "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today that the Department of Justice has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by LMPD officers, including use of force on individuals with behavioral health disabilities or individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory policing, and also whether it conducts unreasonable stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, both during patrol activities and in obtaining and executing search warrants for private homes. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD's systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline..."[7][8]
Jefferson County Police Department
The Jefferson County Police Department was established in February 1868. In 1902, police officers providing their own horses were compensated an extra $10 each month. Two years later, this practice ceased with a wage increase from $40 to $60 monthly for officers. The first chief of police to be granted use of a county car was Harry Kendall in 1918. Following a letter from Chief Ambrose Hagerman noting that there were no river deaths in 1932 due to the introduction of rowboats, the county approved the purchase of a motorboat.
Jefferson County's
Merger
During the 1990s, certain specialized elements of the county and city police departments began joint operations. Most notable were the photo and fingerprint labs, the narcotics bureaus and the crimes against children departments. The purpose of this merger was to provide more efficient and cost-effective service.
JCPD and LPD ceased to exist as separate entities on January 6, 2003, when the Louisville Metro Police Department became effective as part of the city-county merger.
Police reform measures
On June 10, 2020, the Louisville city council voted unanimously to ban no-knock search warrants. The law is called Breonna's Law, in honor of
On June 18, 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department policy was changed so that all officers will have a new duty to intervene when they see misconduct from their fellow officers. The new standard operating procedure says that officers should act to prevent other officers, "regardless of rank or assignment, from using unlawful or excessive force."[10]
In April 2021, the United States Department of Justice announced a wide-ranging investigation of the LMPD. The investigation will examine patterns of abuse, including excessive force, unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures, and whether officers discriminate on the basis of race.[2]
The Justice Department said on March 8, 2023, that there was "reasonable cause to believe" that the Louisville Metro Police Department broke people's civil rights. This was the result of an investigation that started after Breonna Taylor's death.[11]
Controversies
This section is in prose. is available. (April 2024) |
- While the Louisville riots of 1968 had many causes (most directly, the spread of false rumors and bottles being thrown into the crowd) the crowd where the riot began had gathered to protest the possible reinstatement of a white officer who had been suspended for beating a black man some weeks earlier. As the crowd became unruly, police attempts to disperse it were ineffective, but this was a common problem police departments of the day had.[citation needed]
- In 1982, Michael VonAllmen was arrested and charged with rape and related crimes. After serving eleven years in prison for the crime, he was released on parole. In 2010, courts overruled the conviction. In 2011, VanAllman sued the police department over the case, claiming misconduct had led to his false conviction.[12]
- One of the first and most widely covered controversies faced by the post-merger department was the shooting of Michael Newby on January 3, 2004, in the predominantly black Shawnee neighborhood. Newby, a 19-year-old black male in possession of drugs and a firearm, was shot by McKenzie Mattingly, a white police officer, in what authorities described as an undercover drug deal gone bad. After they struggled and Newby went for Mattingly's gun, Mattingly fired four times, hitting Newby three times in the back, killing him.[13] An internal police investigation found that Mattingly did not face an "immediate threat", although Newby did have a .45-caliber gun in his waistband.[14] Mattingly was fired from the department and charged criminally, but acquitted of all charges in September 2004. The nature of the incident and trial sparked a number of protests and demonstrations by members of the community.[15] The city eventually paid $250,000 to Newby's mother to settle a lawsuit.[16]
- On November 6, 2006, the President of the LMPD officers' public safety.[17]
- In August 2011, Officer Jerry Lee Coulter pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud. He had altered official documents to indicate he could borrow a larger amount than authorized by the court.[18]
- In September 2011, the department launched an investigation when a video clip posted on YouTube showed Officer James W. Conley beating a man with a flashlight.[19] In March 2012, a local grand jury refused to indict Officer Conley.[20]
- On December 17, 2011, Officer Charles Wheeler saw his girlfriend sit with another man at a local club. He ordered the other man to move and when he refused Wheeler began to beat him.[21][22] In October 2012, he was charged with fourth-degree assault.[23]
- In early September 2012, narcotics Detective Chauncey Carthan got into an altercation at the corner of 24th and Chestnut Streets with an unarmed man. Carthan shot the man in the leg when he refused to get out of his car. Carthan was off-duty and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the shooting.[24][25] Carthan was charged with driving under the influence, wanton endangerment, and official misconduct. On January 15, 2015, Carthan was acquitted on charges of wanton endangerment, but found guilty of driving under the influence; he was ordered to pay a $500 fine. The official misconduct charge was dismissed prior to trial.[26]
- In January 2012, Donald Blake Settle, who served as a
- In March 2014, a mob of teenagers began a series of attacks in downtown Louisville. Among twenty-plus incidents, a man was knocked down and beaten near the Big Four Bridge, and a large group ransacked a convenience store on South First Street. Although LMPD had deployed extra officers due to the potential for trouble after the death of a juvenile stabbed on a TARC bus several days earlier, the officers were based along West Broadway, away from where the mob attack took place. In the days following the mob incident, residents criticized LMPD for their response. The Downtown Area Patrol was established as a result of the attack and outcry, and led the Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana police departments to develop strategies to combat issues at the Big Four Bridge, which connects the two cities via a walking path. The man who stabbed the juvenile was cleared of wrongdoing on self-defense grounds.[31]
- In 2019, former officer Pablo Cano was sentenced to 5 years in prison for sexual misconduct on 5 women.[32]
- In 2020, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police.[33] On May 21, 2020, Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad announced that he plans to retire effective June 30.[34][35]
- In 2020,
- In November 2020 it was revealed that the LMPD have covered up 738,000 documents relating to sexual abuse against minors perpetrated by two officers.[43]
DOJ investigation
In 2023, the United States Department of Justice announced its findings of the Louisville Metro Police. The report found LMPD used "excessive force" and "an aggressive style of policing" against Black people. The Investigation found that the "police often cite people for minor offenses, while cases like sexual assault and homicide go unsolved." It also found that some officers filmed themselves throwing trash at pedestrians; insulted people with disabilities; and referred to black people as "monkeys" and "animals".[3]
Organizational structure
The
The Patrol Bureau Commander is responsible for the department's eight patrol divisions and the VIPER Unit. Patrol Bureau also houses the Downtown Area Patrol, a sub-command of the First Division responsible for patrolling Downtown Louisville during select times. VIPER was established after a high-profile incident in the city.
The chief of staff oversees the Open Records Coordinator's Office, Media and Public Relations, Administrative Bureau, Support Bureau, and the Special Investigations Division.
The Administrative Bureau controls human resources, Training Division, Administrative Services, and the Administrative Services Division, which encompasses Records Management, the Vehicle Impoundment Lot, the Property Room, and Planning and Technology.
The Support Bureau provides oversight for the Narcotics/Intelligence Division, which comprises the Support Unit, Narcotics Street Enforcement Unit, Major Case Investigation Unit, Violent Crime Interdiction Unit, and the Administration Sergeant; the Major Crimes Division, which encompasses the Crimes Against Children, Homicide, Robbery, Special Victims & Financial Crime, and Forensic Investigations Units; and the Special Operations Division, under which is Special Events, Air Patrol/Special Teams Coordinator, Canine Unit, Traffic Unit, and Community Relations.
The Special Investigations Unit oversees the Public Integrity and Professional Standards units. These are equivalent to an internal affairs unit.
Patrol and interdepartmental issues
Before the merger of the city and county police departments, there were six "city" districts (patrolled by LPD) and four "county" districts (patrolled by JCPD). The city districts were identified numerically, while the county districts were labeled using a phonetic alphabet: Adam, Baker, Charlie, David. On October 10, 2004, Jefferson County was divided into eight patrol divisions, each headed by an officer holding the rank of major. The first, second, fourth and fifth divisions roughly comprise the former jurisdiction of the city police department, while the third, sixth, seventh and eighth divisions make up the area formerly patrolled by the county police department. It is common for longtime police officers to refer to a division by the name that area held before merger (e.g., the old fourth district), just as they will sometimes refer to a police officer as being "county" or "city" if they served before merger.
Even after the city-county merger became effective in 2003, Louisville Metro Police did not become the sole
Communications
Louisville Metro Police communicates using radios on both VHF and UHF frequencies, a carryover from the communications systems of LPD and JCPD. A recent citywide initiative in coordinated operations is MetroSafe, which has combined the radio dispatch capabilities of police, fire and
The
See also
- Shooting of Breonna Taylor
- List of law enforcement agencies in Kentucky
- Louisville Division of Fire
- Louisville Metro EMS
References
- ^ Sullivan, Carl; Baranauckas, Carla (June 26, 2020). "Here's how much money goes to police departments in largest cities across the U.S." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Phillips, Kristine. "Justice Department to investigate whether Louisville police engaged in abuse". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz,Devan Cole,Evan (March 8, 2023). "DOJ issues scathing rebuke of Louisville police in report launched after Breonna Taylor killing | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Excessive Force". January 18, 2004. Archived from the original on January 18, 2004.
- ^ "Jackson to seek Justice probe of Louisville police". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
- The Courier-Journal. Archivedfrom the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Department of Justice Announces Investigation of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department". justice.gov. April 26, 2021. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today that the Department of Justice has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by LMPD officers, including use of force on individuals with behavioral health disabilities or individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory policing, and also whether it conducts unreasonable stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, both during patrol activities and in obtaining and executing search warrants for private homes. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD's systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline.
- ^ "The Civil Rights Division's Pattern and Practice Police Reform Work: 1994–Present". U.S. Department of Justice. April 26, 2021. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, Martin (June 11, 2020). "Louisville passes 'Breonna's Law' banning no-knock warrants". TheHill. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Duvall, Tessa. "Louisville police announce 'duty to intervene' policy in response to George Floyd's death". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "Breonna Taylor investigation: DOJ finds Louisville police violated civil rights". KIRO 7 News Seattle. March 8, 2023. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ "Man sues former Louisville police officials over wrongful conviction", The Courier-Journal, June 1, 2011
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1A.
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. A12.
- ^ "The Truth". October 6, 2006. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
- ^ "LMPD officer pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraud charge", WHAS11.com, August 15, 2011
- ^ "Arrest report outlines details in LMPD incident posted on YouTube", WAVE3.com, September 23, 2011
- ^ "Grand jury declines to indict Louisville Metro police officer over alleged assault with a flashlight", by Jason Riley, The Courier-Journal, March 17, 2012
- ^ "Man sues Louisville police over alleged assault", Associated Press, December 21, 2012
- ^ "LMPD officer charged with assault after attack at nightclub", WLKY.com October 9, 2012
- ^ "Louisville Metro Police officer facing assault charge after 2011 incident at Prime Lounge", by Joseph Lord, The Courier-Journal, October 8, 2012
- ^ "Narcotics detective placed on administrative leave following West Louisville shooting", WHAS11.com, September 5, 2012
- ^ "Louisville Officer Involved in Shooting may have been Intoxicated", by Tamara Evans, WDRB.com, September 11, 2012
- ^ Johnson, Stephan. "Former LMPD detective found guilty of DUI, not guilty of wanton endangerment". WDRB. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- The Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ Erica Coghill (January 28, 2013). "Veteran sues LMPD, says officers wrongfully detained him". WLKY. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ Ed Krayewshi (January 25, 2013). "Louisville Cops Mistook Purple Heart Recipient for Vagrant, Harassment Ensued, Lawsuit Alleges". Hit & Run Blog. Reason Foundation. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- The Courier-Journal. Archivedfrom the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ "Ex-Louisville police officer sentenced to 5 years in sexual misconduct case". Courier-Journal. October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Tessa Duvall; Darcy Costello; Phillip M. Bailey. "Senator Kamala Harris demands federal investigation of police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ "Kentucky police chief, criticized in fatal shooting of black woman, steps down". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 21, 2020. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Martinez, Natalia (May 21, 2020). "LMPD Chief Steve Conrad announces he's leaving department". WAVE (TV). Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Family Of Man Killed By National Guard In Louisville Files Wrongful Death Suit". Marcus Green. May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "David McAtee killed by Kentucky National Guard bullet, Beshear official says". Marcus Green. June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Hauslohner, Abigail. "Louisville police chief fired after law enforcement kills local restaurant owner". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Costello, Darcy. "Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad fired after David McAtee shooting, city unrest". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "FBI to investigate death of David McAtee, who was shot by law enforcement in Louisville". WLKY. June 2, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Kobin, Billy; Kachmar, Kala. "Investigation launched into LMPD, National Guard fatal shooting of West End business owner". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "LMPD Explorer sex scandal: Police lied to conceal records". Louisville Courier-Journal. November 11, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ Louisville Metro Police Dept. Standard Operating Procedures 3.8.5
Sources
- "Louisville Police Department". The Encyclopedia of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. 2001.
- Childress, Morton O. (2005). Louisville Division of Police, 1806–2002: History & Personnel. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 1-59652-060-4.
External links
- Official website
- Metro Mapper - Crime Lab — A comprehensive map of crimes reported in Louisville