LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The ACLU of Kentucky, on behalf of itself and 14 other community organizations, on Friday filed a “friend of the court” brief in support of the negotiated consent decree the US Department of Justice entered with Louisville Metro Government last month.
Residents of Louisville, particularly Black and Brown people, have waited too long for comprehensive police reform. It is Louisville Metro Police Department’s duty to deliver professional, effective services, fairly and ethically, at all times, to all people. The department, thus far, has failed to meet that duty.
“LMPD has a systemic, long-term, and ongoing problem of unconstitutional policing and lack of transparency,” said ACLU of Kentucky Legal Director Corey Shapiro. “Community stakeholders and organizations have spent years trying to work with the department and affect change, to no avail. The problems documented in the DOJ report and by community members persist, and it is time for a new tactic.”
The DOJ report, released in 2023, details years of LMPD’s aggressive style of policing that they deploy selectively, especially against Black people, but also against vulnerable people throughout the city. The report also found community groups have been urging LMPD to provide additional independent oversight for years, with disappointing results.
“The 490 Project has worked toward police accountability and transparency for years, throughout multiple administrations and all levels of government, yet LMPD’s behavior remains unconstitutional and discriminatory,” said Nancy Cavalcante, on behalf of The 490 Project. “We believe the consent decree is a necessary step towards LMPD’s organizational transformation.”
The negotiated Consent Decree, while not containing everything the amici want or will demand in the future, has specific provisions that are critical for making systemic, lasting changes to LMPD for the betterment not only of the department itself, but also for the community. The step represents the minimum effort the City and LMPD must make to start a new era of community safety in Louisville and beyond.
Organizations who have signed on to the brief alongside the ACLU of Kentucky are:
The 490 Project
Dove Delegates
Fairness Campaign
Families United
Forward Justice Action Network
Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Justice
The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Kentucky Equal Justice Center
Kentucky Open Government Coalition
Louisville Urban League
Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice
The Salaam Network
The Sister Thea Bowman Society, Louisville Chapter
VOCAL-KY
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislature and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms.