Message from Major Wampler

 

We had a great kickoff into Spring for the 8^th Division.  The first 8^th Division Easter Egg Hunt had an incredible turnout and was a fantastic event.  We had a wonderful time meeting everyone who attended and look forward to making this an annual tradition.  These events are a fun way for us to develop relationships with you, the members of our community.  I would like to take a quick moment to thank the 8^th Division Advisory Board, community partners, and officers who put in countless hours of planning and work for these community events.  There are several event pictures below showing the great time we had.  Please be on the lookout for more events with the 8^th Division this year where we hope to meet you.  

Reported crime throughout the division is continuing to trend downward.  To continue this trend we need your help by following crime prevention tips and reporting any suspicious activity you observe to dispatch.  The crime prevention tips will greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim by removing easy opportunities for criminals.  When you report suspicious activity you are an extra set of eyes bringing attention to activity for an officer to investigate.  Keeping our community safe is not something we can do by ourselves.  It takes the entire community working together!

Special Events

Kentucky Derby Festival

2024 PGA Championship

The Kentucky Derby Festival is under way with Thunder Over Louisville this weekend.  There are several events throughout Louisville over the next month which will bring countless visitors to our city and put us in the national spotlight. 

The 2024 PGA Championship will be held at Valhalla Golf Club on Shelbyville Road, in the 8^th Division soon after Derby.  The practice rounds will begin Monday, May 13^th and the Championship will conclude on Sunday, May 19^th.  This event will bring higher traffic volumes, expected to gradually increase beginning the week of April 29^th.  There will be several traffic changes to include lane changes and speed limit reductions on Shelbyville Road.  Please plan accordingly and be patient as you are traveling near the event areas.  With your help we can represent Louisville as the great city it is and keep all our residents and visitors safe. 

I have included a traffic advisory below prepared by the PGA and links to the PGA and KDF websites for more information.   

Kentucky Derby Festival website

 

2024 PGA Championship website

 

PGA Championship Traffic Advisory

In an effort to provide residents with information surrounding the PGA Championship and how the traffic flow will change, please reference the materials below.

What:  2024 PGA Championship
When:  Monday, May 13 - Sunday, May 19, 2024
Where:  Valhalla Golf Club, 15503 Shelbyville Road

Traffic Overview:
Exciting times are ahead as Louisville gears up for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club! As your local community resource, we want to ensure residents are well-informed and prepared for any potential traffic impacts during this event.

• Starting the week of April 29, motorists will see signage being installed along Shelbyville Road (U.S. 60) alerting residents of increased traffic. Motorists can expect a continual increase in traffic through May 12 as preparations for the tournament begin.
• Beginning Monday, May 13, Shelbyville Road will have lane restrictions and speed limit reductions from I-265 to Eastwood Cutoff Road. These temporary lane restrictions and speed limit reductions will remain in place through Sunday, May 19.

While these changes may cause some inconvenience, rest assured the priority is your safety. We advise exploring alternate routes to avoid delays. However, if you must use Shelbyville Road, please stay vigilant for temporary signage, traffic changes, and anticipate delays. LMPD and KYTC have been working diligently to make changes in anticipation of increased traffic on Shelbyville Road.

There will be no public parking, drop-offs, or walk-ins at or around Valhalla Golf Club. Residents and guests will not be allowed to walk from their homes to the PGA Championship.

 

For further updates and information regarding the 2024 PGA Championship, please visit pgachampionship.com.

March 2024

Officers of the Month

Officer Alexia Thornton

&

Officer Brittany Rausch

Officer Alexia Thornton and Officer Brittany Rausch have been selected as the March 2024 8^th Division Officers of the Month.  Officer Rausch is assigned as the 8^th Division Resource Officer and Officer Thornton is assigned to the 8^th Division Patrol Platoon.  These Officers have recently planned and held multiple community events.  Two of the most notable events were our Meet Your Beat Officer event and the Easter Egg Hunt.  These events took a lot of planning and collaboration with community partners to ensure they were successful.  These officers have also been addressing several homeless camp related complaints throughout the division.  They have arranged cleanup of sites and services to individuals with help from the Louisville Homeless Services Division in the Office of Resilience and Community Services.  These activities alone are enough to keep them busy, but they have also been attending numerous community events throughout the division and responding to complaints from residents ranging from problematic locations to parking issues.  While this is Officer Rausch's fulltime job, Officer Thornton has been supporting Officer Rausch by assisting with these functions in addition to her regular patrol duties.  The work of these officers is helping to build stronger relationships throughout the division and provide needed services to the less fortunate.  Officer Rausch and Officer Thornton have a true passion for the work they are doing.  Please help me congratulate these officers on a job well done.

Criminal incidents over the previous 4 reporting weeks are consistent with the downward trend we experienced throughout a majority of 2023.  

The below chart indicates the number of reported incidents for the previous 4 weeks in the 8^th Division.

Week 0 - 04/08/2024 - 04/14/2024

Week 1 - 04/01/2024 - 04/07/2024

Week 2 - 03/25/2024 - 03/31/2024

Week 3 - 03/18/2024 - 03/24/2024

The 28 Day chart compares the same time period of 2023 and 2024.

The YTD chart compares year to date for 2023 and 2024.

3 - Robbery Incidents

• 1 - Domestic violence related

  • Involving suspect using physical force to take property from victim. 

• 1 - Armed robbery

  • A food delivery driver was robbed at gun point.

• 1 - Burglary related

  • Suspect was armed during a burglary.  The suspect was identified and arrested by detectives.

3 - Aggravated Assaults

• 2 - Domestic violence related

• 1 - Road Rage Shooting

  • Suspect shot and struck victim's vehicle during a road rage incident on Interstate 71.

10 - Burglary Incidents

• 7 - Residences

  • 3 - Domestic violence related
  • 1 - Suspects forced entry and stole multiple valuable items
  • 1 - Suspect entered house and pointed a firearm at victim.  This event is related to the earlier referenced robbery where the suspect was arrested by detectives.
  • 1 - Armed individuals entered residence.  Possibly drug related.
  • 1 - Domestic violence related

• 3 - Commercial locations

  • 2 - Construction sites
  • 1 - Mail room of an apartment complex

15 - Auto Theft Incidents

• 9 - Involving other vehicle makes

  • 4 - vehicle unlocked with keys inside
  • 2 - unlocked and taken by unknown means
  • 2 - forced entry and damage to vehicle
  • 1 - attempt with damage to vehicle

• 4 - Kia/Hyundai vehicles

  • 1 - completed theft without keys
  • 3 - attempts with damage to vehicle

• 2 - Vehicles were reported stolen then found to not be stolen

LMPD Kia/Hyundai PSA

 

NHTSA Kia and Hyundai Service Campaign to Prevent Theft

18 - Theft from Vehicle Incidents

• 7 in Apartment Complexes

  • 2 - unlocked vehicles
  • 5 - locked with forced entry

• 6 in Neighborhoods

  • All were unlocked vehicles

• 5 at Businesses

  • All were locked with forced entry

 

We need your help to prevent these types of crimes. Half of the theft from vehicle incidents were from unlocked vehicles.  Reduce your chances of being a victim by locking your vehicles. Do not leave bags or valuable items visible to thieves who may be looking into your vehicle in search of something to steal.

The Louisville Metro Police Foundation is dedicated to improving the Greater Louisville community for everyone and making our city a safer place to live, work and visit. Let us not forget, we are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, friends and Louisvillians. Together, we are who make up our Louisville community. Founded in 2005, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation is dedicated to improving the Greater Louisville community and making our city a safer place to live, work and visit by supporting the men and women of the Louisville Metro Police Department. The Foundation provides the LMPD much-needed financial resources beyond what the Police Department’s Louisville Metro Government budget can fund, focusing on three key areas: programs, equipment and training, and Officers in Distress. https://saferlouisville.org

Who in the Lou am I?

LMPD has launched a new online portal called "Who in the Lou am I?". This online portal features photos of suspects from current LMPD cases. You can click on any of the photos and submit an anonymous tip to LMPD if you are able to identify the suspect. The link below will take you to the new online portal.

Who in the Lou am I?

The Louisville Metro Police Department is now on Nextdoor to engage with residents of Metro Louisville. Detective Sergeant Roderick Beasley is active on the platform representing the 8^th Division. He is sharing information with residents of the 8^th Division about current crime trends, crime tips, and community events for your neighborhoods. To join us on Nextdoor use the link below.

Link to LMPD on nextdoor

LMPD Public Policy Review

We need your help and input.  LMPD is seeking feedback from the public regarding our policies.  A section of the LMPD website is dedicated for members of the public to have input on policy revisions.  Click the link below to be a part of the policy review process.

LMPD Public Review of Policy

LMPD IS LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES

WHO WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

LMPDJobs.com

www.louisville-police.org

CRIME TIPS

574-LMPD

Anonymous Tip Line (5673)

Submit Crime Tips Online

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Major Eric Wampler

Lt. Larry Suttles  Lt. William Vogt  Lt. Brian Roney

Louisville Metro Police Department:  8^th Division

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