Mayor Greg Fischer’s remarks on the announcement of a DOJ review

Thirteen months ago, a horrible tragedy took place in our city with the killing of Breonna Taylor.  Since then, Louisville and the entire country have been coming to a heightened reckoning with the need for police reform and racial justice.  Here in Louisville, we have taken numerous steps to produce a higher level of police-community legitimacy and improve the co-production of public safety – because we will only all be safe, if we all recognize that we are in this together.

Our reform steps include signing Breonna’s Law, implementing new leadership for the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), establishing our Civilian Review and Accountability Board and Office of Inspector General and hiring the national firm Hilliard Heintze to undertake an independent top-to-bottom review of LMPD. 

We have begun implementation of dozens of reform recommendations from that review, and from the settlement with Breonna Taylor’s family. And, the budget that I released last week takes many steps to reimagine public safety with additional funding streams to help us reform how we create and deliver that safety, with work from all of Metro Government, and in partnership with all the residents of our city.  

And, as I will continue to say, we know we have much more work to do. 

That is why I strongly welcome the announcement made by Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier today of a Patterns and Practice investigation into LMPD. The recommendations of this DOJ review will help us continue to pursue our efforts toward being the best police department in America and producing a safer, more equitable city, for all our residents. 

To the officers of the LMPD, let me repeat as I have often said – you have an unbelievably difficult job, working to keep us safe while policing equitably across our community. 

Good officers will welcome this announcement and see it as an exciting time to be a part of reform and transformation.

To the people of Louisville – know that you are the ultimate winners of this review, which will help us remove – as quickly as possible – any obstacles that stand in the way of Louisville becoming a more just and compassionate city, a city of equity and constitutional policing for all of our residents.