'Not surprising': Community reacts to DOJ retreat from Louisville consent decree
ACLU announces Seven States Safety Campaign as the DOJ abandons consent decrees in Louisville & Minneapolis.
ACLU announces Seven States Safety Campaign as the DOJ abandons consent decrees in Louisville & Minneapolis.
ACLU announces Seven States Safety Campaign as the DOJ abandons consent decrees in Louisville & Minneapolis.
The Department of Justice has decided to abandon its consent decree with Louisville, raising questions about the future of police reform in the city.
While Mayor Craig Greenberg has assured the public that the city remains committed to reform, some community leaders are expressing doubt.
Lyndon Pryor, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, said the DOJ's decision was "disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising, which I guess is also disappointing that this was anticipated."
Pryor emphasized that the Urban League had urged the city to develop its own plan for police reform, knowing the DOJ might retreat.
"Because we knew this was a likely outcome, we've been pushing the mayor and Metro Council to go ahead and proceed alone," he said.
Greenberg announced a voluntary reform plan for the city, but both Pryor and Corey Shapiro, Legal Director of the ACLU of Kentucky, stressed the importance of community involvement.
"That's important because that is what the original consent decree really structured. It set out for us to do맥스카지노for the community to play a role in that," Pryor said.
Shapiro highlighted the disproportionate impact of police tactics on communities of color in Louisville.
"These police tactics were not only excessive force and improper stopping but also disproportionately impacting communities of color in Louisville. It's really important that we include those communities," he said.
Transparency remains a significant concern for Shapiro, who noted that the ACLU is launching a coordinated open records request to uncover ongoing police misconduct.
"The problem through our time here in Louisville has been a lack of accountability and a lack of transparency," he said.
The ACLU's efforts are part of a broader campaign across seven states, focusing on areas where the DOJ, under former President Biden, identified patterns of unconstitutional and racially discriminatory policing.
However, Shapiro acknowledged the limitations of the ACLU, which lacks the legal authority of the DOJ.
Pryor argued that Louisville's police reform efforts need to be codified into law to ensure accountability.
"There are no real teeth. We are essentially asking for the mayor and LMPD to just do this on the honor system. But if we codify it into law, it ensures that it has to happen," he said.
Both leaders urged grassroots action, encouraging residents to speak with elected officials.