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Like many of you, I am deeply concerned by the events that continue to impact our city. I am deeply frustrated with the actions of both the administration and those who fail to follow the law. I am saddened by the senseless death of a young protester, the deep divisions within our society, and vilification of our police officers. I do not think any of this is acceptable.
I also don’t think this is the fault of any one individual or group, nor do I believe we can resolve these issues quickly. Some people opine on what should be done; they offer criticism of the protestors, the police, or the mayor and suggest ‘simple’ solutions that would resolve the issue. It is easy to offer criticism; it is much harder to offer solutions that can be implemented safely, are cost effective, and balance the competing interests of members of our society. Let me be clear: there are no ‘easy’ options. If there were, they would have been implemented already. Let me also state that these issues go far beyond the mayor, LMPD, or the city of Louisville. If they were unique to us, we would not be seeing similar protests across the country. These issues are deep, systemic, and complex.
There are no quick and simple ways to solve these problems, and every action has the potential to create even worse consequences. It is one thing to tweet complaints about how poorly a situation is being handled; it is another to offer concrete steps to resolve the situation and be accountable if things don’t go well.
As an example, many of us on the Metro Council have called for finalizing the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) contract and paying our officers more, in line with what suburban cities pay. I support this. We are losing officers at an unsustainable rate, and their pay is near the bottom of police forces in our area. We must do better. However, every $1/hour raise we give our officers will cost around $4 million annually. Most estimates I have seen say we need to pay between $5-10/hour more to be in the middle of the pack--a $20-40 million incremental expense. Where will that money come from? Some suggest getting rid of ‘fluff' departments--the Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods and the Office of Performance Improvement. However, their total combined budget is less than $3 million (and that includes some federal grants). Throw in the entire budget for libraries, and you add only another $22 million--well short of where we need to be. It is easy to say we should pay our officers more; it is much harder to figure out where those dollars need to come from. Additionally, other members of our community are calling for less spending on police and more spending on social services like mental health and substance abuse treatment. Those concerns must be balanced as well.
Many of you have reached out as you have become frustrated with the actions of some protestors. I share many of these concerns. Illegal actions should not be tolerated. However, one must also note that there are limits to what Metro Government can do. First, many of the activities of the protestors, while disruptive, are not illegal. Many of the actions that are illegal are misdemeanors (or subject to administrative release due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic) resulting in a quick exit from jail. In other words, even when crimes are being committed, the punishment is not a significant deterrent. That is why we must work with the protest groups to try to find solutions. It is also important to separate legitimate and organized groups from people who are just looking to instigate and cause chaos.
To the protestors specifically: I know many of you are frustrated with the pace of investigations into police-involved shootings, chronic inequity that exists in our society, and other social injustices. Unfortunately, neither our criminal justice system nor our legislative processes are built for speed. However, many of us are working to address these issues, and I would encourage those who want to see change to seek productive means for making an impact--volunteer as a mentor, help with neighborhood cleanups, provide job skills mentoring to justice-involved people, the list goes on. While driving in a 150-car caravan may seem like a way to protest, it does nothing to address the underlying issues but, instead, turns moderate individuals against your cause.
It was reported this week that the city has spent $3.6 million on police overtime to address the protests. That is $3.6 million that will not be available to be reinvested in our underserved neighborhoods. Government's ability to provide service to our communities is dependent on tax revenue. In Louisville, a significant portion of that revenue comes indirectly from the tourism and hospitality sector. The longer we have downtown boarded up, roads blocked, and bricks thrown through car windows, the more people will lose their jobs and think about moving elsewhere, leaving less money to help those in need. This isn’t ideological, it is simple math.
The issues we face are significant, but I am confident we will be better able to solve them if we work together with dialogue and collaboration, as opposed to shouting and division. "United we stand, divided we fall." These words are enshrined in the seal of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and they are words we should all seek to live by today.
I don’t propose to have the answers. In fact, I am aware that I probably don’t have most of the answers. However, I know that what we (collectively) are doing right now is not enough. As such, I am proposing the following steps as immediate actions to begin to make the situation better. I will be calling on my peers and the administration to join me in this cause and would welcome any additional support. Please let me know what you think and if you would like to be part of the solution.
1. Ensure that any outstanding investigative steps related to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee are quickly turned over to the FBI and Attorney General and that the city not fight attempts to make evidence public.
2. Immediately establish clear guidelines for protestors. We expect all laws to be followed, and anyone who cannot abide by those laws should be arrested and fined. For repeat offenders, pursue punishments in line with statutory maximums.
3. Make certain that the Build Back Better, Together initiative addresses key issues in our society such as policing, social inequality, environmental inequality, and economic inequality. Welcome anyone who wants to be part of the solution and provide constructive avenues for those who want to make a difference.
4. Work with our non-profits and other social service organizations to provide opportunity assessments to pair those who want to address inequities with suitable volunteer opportunities.
5. Complete the top to bottom review of LMPD and publicly share the findings. Follow that up with the creation of workgroups including members of LMPD leadership, the community, and the FOP to resolve issues. Finalize the structure of the Civilian Review Board (explained in greater detail below).
6. Continue the public search for a new LMPD chief, ensuring that FOP and public input isn't just considered but part of the selection criteria. Make a member of the Civilian Review Board, the Metro Council, and the FOP Board part of the interview/selection committee.
7. The Metro Council Budget Committee and the administration should immediately prioritize development of a specific plan to address the FOP contract funding. How much money do we stand ready to make available and where (specifically) will that money come from?
8. The Metro Council Public Safety Committee and the administration should identify desired concessions from the FOP relating to oversight, diversity, training, and other non-financial contractual agreements.
9. The administration and the FOP should finalize a new collective bargaining agreement by December 1, and the Metro Council should ratify that agreement by the end of the year.
10. Utilize the newly-formed Metro Council Committee on Equity and Inclusion to identify near-, mid-, and long-term priorities to improve the well-being of residents across Jefferson County.
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