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To begin, I offer my deepest sympathies to the family
and friends of Jason Spencer, 30, who was shot and killed Sunday night while
walking with his wife in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood. Jason was murdered – apparently as a result
of a botched robbery – by a 15-year old boy. His tragic death marks the city’s 91st
homicide in 2017.
The death of Michael L. Davis, 37, fatally shot
hours later while in his apartment near Shawnee Park, marks the 92nd. I echo my condolences to Michael’s loved ones,
and pray both young men rest in peace.
Murder and violent gun crime in the Highlands are
rare, so, naturally, District 8 is shocked, saddened and scared right now. “Good” crime statistics are cold comfort to
all of us who mourn and worry but knowledge and information must be the
foundation of our response to the situation before us. There have been 92 criminal homicides in
Louisville this year. There were 124 in
2016, the most since 1971 when there were 110.
Jason’s death was the first murder in District 8 since 2015, and the seventh
since 2011. There were 497 shooting
victims in Louisville in 2016 (397 non-fatal); from 2012-2016, there were 15 shooting
victims in District 8. The Louisville
Metro Police Fifth Division, in which District 8 is located, has the lowest total
combined crime (violent and property) and calls for service of all eight LMPD
divisions. The Eighth Division east end suburbs has the second-lowest totals.
With the above in mind, LMPD has a strategic
plan to respond to Sunday’s shooting; I have a plan to organize against crime
in District 8; and, most importantly, Mayor Greg Fischer has a holistic approach to address the root causes of crime
and violence in Louisville.
You can
view Fifth Division Commander Major Aubrey Gregory’s Strategic Plan for the
1200 Block of Everett Avenue here. My
understanding is that plans like these are standard protocol following all city
homicides, and they are equitable in scope and resources allocated. In short, Major Gregory plans increasing
police presence in the Cherokee Triangle over the next two weeks and coupling
that with broader community outreach and crime prevention education efforts. LMPD wants to hear from you, so please take
advantage of the opportunity to interact with our officers whenever and
wherever you encounter them.
Hopefully, my District 8 crime plan is already familiar to you. If not, then
please take a moment to review it now. It
is based on the principles that we will develop organizational capacity and
focus on communication to prevent crime. We will be a destination of welcome for all,
but we will not tolerate violence or intimidation of any kind.
I have used our limited District 8 discretionary
funding to pay for overtime beat patrols in the Cherokee Triangle, Original
Highlands and Tyler Park, and I continue to lobby Major Gregory and Chief Steve
Conrad to secure two to four (2-4) additional officers permanently dedicated to
this area during nightlife hours. I work
closely with Major Gregory and his Lieutenants to monitor District 8 crime
trends, and I am willing to increase spending on public safety, if so advised
by them. Again, our District 8 resources are limited, however, and money alone cannot solve all our problems.
That’s why LMPD, Mayor Fischer and I are asking you
to be part of the solution. I ask you to
stay informed by receiving regular crime updates, such as those linked below,
and by working with your neighbors to participate in a block watch or otherwise
communicate with and watch out for each other. Mayor Fischer asks you to #Bethe1.
The Mayor’s Office of Safe & Healthy
Neighborhoods exists for the primary purpose of saving lives like Jason
Spencer’s – and like that of the boy who killed him. There are thousands of young people in our
community who desperately need an adult to care for them, mentor them, give
them a job opportunity or a second chance to reach their full human potential. In the long-term, this is how we will keep
Louisville safe and help Louisville thrive. We’re all in this together. Please consider getting involved today.
Christ Church United Methodist, at 4614
Brownsboro Road, is holding a vigil Wednesday at 6:00pm to pay respects to
Jason Spencer’s family and friends. The LMPD Homicide Support Group
stands at the ready to support survivors.
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For breaking news and information, please follow
me on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. If you have a question or comment, please call me at:
(502) 574-1108 or email: brandon.coan@louisvilleky.gov (and copy jasmine.masterson@louisvilleky.gov). If you have a service request, please
use MetroCall 311 online to submit or check on it, and get in touch
with our office if you experience any problems.
Thanks very much.
Councilman Brandon Coan
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