Survey: What qualities do you want in Louisville’s next police chief?
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville leaders are searching for a new police chief but first, they want to hear from the community.
A new survey will provide residents the opportunity to detail priorities before city officials appoint a new, permanent police chief.
LMPD’s Interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel has been serving in the role since former Chief Erika Shields stepped down back in January.
The online survey lists a series of questions that asks what qualities the next chief should have. But Louisville Urban League Interim President Lyndon Pryor said the choice shouldn’t be “either-or,” but rather all-inclusive.
He said it’s a difficult choice to make when he sees so many of these issues co-existing.
“We don’t have to choose,” Pryor said. “All of these things can exist.”
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY
For example, one survey question asks about “compelling priorities” the new LMPD chief would have to balance. It asks survey takers to choose the top five highest priorities for LMPD — with options including homelessness, culture change, and implementing police reform in response to the DOJ report.
“We can have a police department that is accountable, and that is respectful, and that is community involved and community engaged in that is doing ‘community policing,'” Pryor said. “But that also helps to reduce crime.”
He said ultimately, the burden of real change falls on Mayor Craig Greenberg.
The Urban League, along with other local organizations, has called on the mayor to open the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) contract negotiations to the public.
Greenberg previously said the Department of Justice advised that none of its recommendations require changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“That is a great place for the mayor to start,” Pryor believes. “To say, ‘Hey this contract needs to change, it has to improve, it has to get better.'”
Pryor acknowledges positive change within Metro Government, including giving more teeth to the Office of the Inspector General.
“But to be quite honest, there are still questions with regard to that in terms of what types of how strong those teeth really are going to be when it comes to investigations and subpoena power, and all of those types of things,” Pryor said.
