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Mayor Craig Greenberg spoke during the Department of Justice’s press conference Wednesday afternoon announcing civil rights violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department and city government.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland led the announcements enumerating what they said were several civil rights violations. You can read about that here. “Our city has wounds that have not yet healed and that is why this report and this moment are so important,” said Greenberg, standing with LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.Watch Greenberg’s full remarks below:He said he and the chief “will do everything possible” to heal those wounds.A major part of that will be Louisville’s work with the DOJ on implementing 36 remedial improvements made in the report, which you can read in its entirety here.Pledging reform, Greenberg said, “To those people who were harmed, I’m sorry. We can and will do better.”Gwinn-Villaroel also pledged to enact reforms in the LMPD.Several community members and protesters were outside for the media-only announcement. Many were those at the forefront of 2020 protests and calling for LMPD reform way before then. Other Kentucky leaders and parties involved spoke out too. U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) said, “I fully support the Department of Justice’s consent decree to collaboratively work with Louisville Metro, Louisville Metro Police Department, and the community to begin righting these harmful wrongs. Excessive use of force and racial profiling in the Louisville Metro Police Department will continue to plague our community until we take decisive action to create true, lasting change. We simply cannot afford to wait.”Former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer released a statement too. He said, in part, “Today is another important inflection point to honor the pain of 2020 by further acknowledging, and continuing to act on, the fact that our community deserves a new era of public safety. This era requires the leadership of the many good officers who have dedicated their lives to keep us safe and are committed to working in partnership with the community to develop a new form of constitutionally sound policing embraced by all our city’s residents.”Today’s findings, paired with those from the independent audit by Hillard Heintze that I initiated in 2020, presents Louisville with an opportunity to be a national leader and a model in building a truly just public safety system,” Fischer said. “I believe good police officers will welcome this report as an opportunity to more easily meet the oath they swore to protect and serve our community and improve their daily job performance and profession.”Attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family, Ben Crump, released the following statement. “The family of Breonna Taylor is encouraged by the findings released today by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division revealing a pattern of biased policing and a long list of constitutional violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department,” he said.”These findings, and LMPD’s expected cooperation with the DOJ’s recommended remedial measures, will help protect the citizens of Louisville and shape its culture of policing,” said Crump. “It’s steps like these, and involvement of the Attorney General and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, that will move our nation forward and prevent future tragedies like the one that took the life of Breonna Taylor and the countless others who have been killed unnecessarily by law enforcement.”Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron release the following:”My statement regarding the results of DOJ’s investigation into Louisville Metro: The vast majority of Kentucky’s law enforcement community protects & serves the Commonwealth with dignity & honor, & I am thankful to these brave men & women who put their lives on the line day in & day out to keep our communities safe. We hope that the U.S. Department of Justice’s work with Louisville Metro and city officials will help address lingering concerns & better allow law enforcement to keep people safe.”Gov. Andy Beshear also responded to the reports, saying:”Today’s findings by the Department of Justice are concerning. My Hope is that everyone in Louisville will come together and see the findings of this report as an urgent opportunity to take intentional steps for positive, lasting change. I believe the DOJ findings can help achieve the goal of ensuring public safety and protecting everyone’s rights.”

Mayor Craig Greenberg spoke during the Department of Justice’s press conference Wednesday afternoon announcing civil rights violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department and city government.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland led the announcements enumerating what they said were several civil rights violations. You can read about that here.

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“Our city has wounds that have not yet healed and that is why this report and this moment are so important,” said Greenberg, standing with LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.

Watch Greenberg’s full remarks below:


He said he and the chief “will do everything possible” to heal those wounds.

A major part of that will be Louisville’s work with the DOJ on implementing 36 remedial improvements made in the report, which you can read in its entirety here.

Pledging reform, Greenberg said, “To those people who were harmed, I’m sorry. We can and will do better.”

Gwinn-Villaroel also pledged to enact reforms in the LMPD.

Several community members and protesters were outside for the media-only announcement.

Many were those at the forefront of 2020 protests and calling for LMPD reform way before then.

Other Kentucky leaders and parties involved spoke out too.

U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) said, “I fully support the Department of Justice’s consent decree to collaboratively work with Louisville Metro, Louisville Metro Police Department, and the community to begin righting these harmful wrongs. Excessive use of force and racial profiling in the Louisville Metro Police Department will continue to plague our community until we take decisive action to create true, lasting change. We simply cannot afford to wait.”

Former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer released a statement too. He said, in part, “Today is another important inflection point to honor the pain of 2020 by further acknowledging, and continuing to act on, the fact that our community deserves a new era of public safety. This era requires the leadership of the many good officers who have dedicated their lives to keep us safe and are committed to working in partnership with the community to develop a new form of constitutionally sound policing embraced by all our city’s residents.

“Today’s findings, paired with those from the independent audit by Hillard Heintze that I initiated in 2020, presents Louisville with an opportunity to be a national leader and a model in building a truly just public safety system,” Fischer said. “I believe good police officers will welcome this report as an opportunity to more easily meet the oath they swore to protect and serve our community and improve their daily job performance and profession.”

Attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family, Ben Crump, released the following statement.

“The family of Breonna Taylor is encouraged by the findings released today by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division revealing a pattern of biased policing and a long list of constitutional violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department,” he said.

“These findings, and LMPD’s expected cooperation with the DOJ’s recommended remedial measures, will help protect the citizens of Louisville and shape its culture of policing,” said Crump. “It’s steps like these, and involvement of the Attorney General and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, that will move our nation forward and prevent future tragedies like the one that took the life of Breonna Taylor and the countless others who have been killed unnecessarily by law enforcement.”

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron release the following:

“My statement regarding the results of DOJ’s investigation into Louisville Metro: The vast majority of Kentucky’s law enforcement community protects & serves the Commonwealth with dignity & honor, & I am thankful to these brave men & women who put their lives on the line day in & day out to keep our communities safe. We hope that the U.S. Department of Justice’s work with Louisville Metro and city officials will help address lingering concerns & better allow law enforcement to keep people safe.”

Gov. Andy Beshear also responded to the reports, saying:

“Today’s findings by the Department of Justice are concerning. My Hope is that everyone in Louisville will come together and see the findings of this report as an urgent opportunity to take intentional steps for positive, lasting change. I believe the DOJ findings can help achieve the goal of ensuring public safety and protecting everyone’s rights.”