The Urban League sent a letter to LMPD and the River City FOP, Louisville’s police union, expressing its expectations for local policing, policy and practice.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB NEWS) — The Louisville Urban League wants to see significant changes made to the way LMPD and its police union treats their officers and the community.
The Urban League sent a letter to LMPD and the River City FOP, Louisville’s police union, expressing its expectations for local policing, policy and practice. It was signed by leaders of Louisville organizations and churches as well.
“I don’t think the white community or the black community have trust in the police department right now,” Urban League President and CEO Sadiqa Reynolds said.
In the letter, the league says it will “no longer tolerate the bad behavior of rogue officers” or a police union that “works to protect and enable” them.
The Urban League set forth several suggestions for change including an expectation that the department hires more men and women of color. It also asked LMPD and the FOP to disclose more about the hiring process, including how much money is budgeted for minority affairs.
The league is also calling for the creation of a black police officers union, to help focus on the recruitment, retention and success of black officers.
Reynolds believes the River City FOP is quick to offer support when officers are right, but is often silent when officers are in the wrong.
“The bad ones need to be called out,” Reynolds said. “And we expect FOP to do that, but they have not had a history of doing that. And we are tired of standing by and allowing that to happen.”
In terms of a new police chief, the Urban League is asking for a nationwide search to find someone who can turn around a police department and improve community relations.
“What we need in a police chief is someone who is committed to community relations and community building, someone who believes in community policing, someone who can inspire confidence and trust,” Reynolds said.
There is also a push for expanded transparency during the search process and a focus on best-practices by other departments around the country.
“It was really time for change,” Reynolds said. “It was past time for change, we’re glad that we have change coming but it matters to us very much who the next police chief is.”
The league also expects transparency from the department in the investigation into the shooting death of Breonna Taylor and the arrest of her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. It’s calling for some of the officers involved to be fired and for other related policy changes to be made.
“So we are going to align with the office of the Mayor and hopefully with the police department to build a better a department so that this city’s citizens and residents can feel protected, and quite frankly so the officers can feel protected,” Reynolds said. “If we continue like this, no one is safe. We can’t go on like this.”
To read the letter, click here.
