'Been saying this for a long time': LMPD review says Black residents treated 'disproportionately'
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Updated: 11:09 PM EST Jan 29, 2021
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Updated: 11:09 PM EST Jan 29, 2021
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BLACK COMMUNITY. REPORTER SEVERAL BLACK LEADERS IN LOUISVILLE, AFTER SEEING THE REVIEW IT REAFFIRMS WHAT THEY ALREADY KNEW AND IT IS WHY THEY TOOK TO THE STREETS DEMANDING CHANGE. AFTER THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE HIRED A CHICAGO FIRM TO CONDUCT A TOP-TO-BOTTOM REVIEW OF LMPD, THE FIRM’S FINDINGS INCLUDE A LACK OF COMMUNITY TRUST, LOW MORALE AMONG OFFICERS, AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN TRAFFIC STOPS AND ARRESTS. A REVIEW THAT COST TAX PAYER NEARLY $200,000. >> IT COULD HAVE WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE. >> THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN THAT TO ME. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT IN THE CITY AND COME UP WITH THE SAME RESULTS. REPORTER: ACCORDING TO PASTOR TIM FINDLEY JR., A WELL KNOWN ACTIVIST, MOST OF THIS REPORT OUTLINES ISSUES WITH LMPD TH HE AND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME. >> MANY OF THESE THINGS AS WE HAVE BEEN PROTESTING AND SAYING AND COMPLAINING AND PUSHING, IT WAS TREATED AS IF THESE WERE NOT REALISTIC ISSUES. REPORTER: THE FIRM CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS, LOOKED AT DATA, SPOKE WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO THE REVIEW, BLACK DRIVERS IN LOUISVILLE ARE 60% MORE LIKELY TO BE STOPPED COMPARED TO WHITE DRIVER IT ALSO STATES FROM 2010 TO 2019, BLACK RESIDENTS MAKE UP NEARLY 21% OF THE LOUISVILLE POPULATION BUT WERE INVOLVED IN ALMOST 50% OF THE USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS. >> IN ORDER FOR THE COMMUNITY TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THEY HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. REPORTER: BUT THE REPORT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL THINGS THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE WELL. FOR EXAMPLE, FROM 2018 TO 2020 THE DEPARTMENT OVERALL REDUCED USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS, BOTH INJURING THE PUBLIC AND OFFICERS. LMPD CHIEF ERIKA SHIELDS HAS SAID ONE OF HER TOP PRIORITIES IS REBUILDING TRUST BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE DEPARTMENT B TRAINING, EDUCATING, AND ENGAGING OFFICERS MORE WITH THE COMMUNITY. FINDLEY SAYS THAT’S A START. >> YOU HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PLAN, THE CODE, THE STRATEGIES, ALL OF THESE THINGS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND FIGURE OUT W