58-765: The Louisville Metro Police Department ( LMPD ) began operations on January 6, 2003, as part of the creation of the consolidated city-county government in Louisville, Kentucky , United States . It was formed by the merger of the Jefferson County Police Department and the Louisville Division of Police. The Louisville Metro Police Department was most recently headed by Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel since January 2, 2023. On Tuesday June 25, 2024, Chief Gwinn-Villaroel resigned following an ongoing sexual harassment and abuse scandal among
116-608: A unified municipality , unified home rule borough , or city and borough in Alaska) is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana , borough in Alaska ) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is a type of unitary authority that has the governmental powers of both a municipal corporation and a county. A consolidated city-county is different from an independent city , although
174-648: A 2023 investigation by the DOJ that concluded that the LMPD engaged in a decades long pattern of civil rights abuses. While the Louisville Metro Police Department began in 2003, its origins lie in two police departments dating back to the 1800s, the Jefferson County Police Department (JCPD) and the Louisville Division of Police (LPD). The Louisville Police Department, also known as the Louisville Division of Police, came into existence in 1806 with
232-443: A chief of staff), two assistant chiefs (Administrative Bureau and Support Bureau), fourteen majors (Special Operations Commander, Special Investigations Division Commander, Major Crimes Division Commander, Narcotics/Intelligence Division Commander, Administrative Services Division Commander, Training Division Commander and eight Patrol Division Commanders) and a civilian attorney serving as the legal advisor. The Patrol Bureau Commander
290-507: A consolidated government, whereas in an independent city, the county does not even nominally exist. Furthermore, a consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. Not considering Hawaii , which has no independent municipalities, the Midwest and Upper South have the highest concentration of large consolidated city-county governments in
348-406: A patched ADP-AES mutual-aid channel. This also means communications between officers and dispatchers will no longer be streamed live to the public through police scanners and websites. Instead, the radio traffic will be streamed for free with a 15-minute delay via Broadcastify. Numerous other public safety agencies across Kentucky, and across the country, are already using encrypted radios. This switch
406-503: A police officer as being "county" or "city" if they served before merger. Even after the city-county merger became effective in 2003, Louisville Metro Police did not become the sole law enforcement agency in the county. Other than the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO), the incorporated cities remaining intact after merger maintain their own police with jurisdiction within those cities. Most notable of these are
464-632: A press release, "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today that the Department of Justice has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by LMPD officers, including use of force on individuals with behavioral health disabilities or individuals engaged in activities protected by
522-545: A sheriff as required by the Georgia Constitution. These consolidated cities are: Five cities in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia were formed by the consolidation of a city with a county: Chesapeake , Hampton , Newport News , Suffolk , and Virginia Beach (from Norfolk, Elizabeth City, Warwick, Nansemond, and Princess Anne counties, respectively). However, in each case an independent city
580-422: Is MetroSafe, which has combined the radio dispatch capabilities of police, fire and EMS into one joint emergency management unit (Joint EMU). Additionally, MetroSafe has incorporated a Motorola MotoBridge into the system, facilitating communications between different agencies (such as Shively and Jeffersontown Police Departments) with different communications capabilities. The radio alphabet in use in LMPD
638-405: Is being made for many reasons including: As of June 28, 2024, all LMPD dispatch channels are being provided with a 15-minute delay through third party sites and apps like Broadcastify. Consolidated city-county In United States local government , a consolidated city-county (also known as either a city-parish or a consolidated government in Louisiana, depending on the locality, or
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#1732780253113696-454: Is co-extensive with a county. Each has its own district attorney; however, county-level government is essentially non-existent as all executive and legislative power is exercised by the city government throughout the five boroughs. The city, as currently constituted, was created in 1898 when the city of New York (then comprising what would become the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx ) annexed Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County as
754-712: Is responsible for the department's eight patrol divisions and the VIPER Unit. Patrol Bureau also houses the Downtown Area Patrol, a sub-command of the First Division responsible for patrolling Downtown Louisville during select times. VIPER was established after a high-profile incident in the city. The chief of staff oversees the Open Records Coordinator's Office, Media and Public Relations, Administrative Bureau, Support Bureau, and
812-748: Is the same one used by the American Radio Relay League , circa 1948, consisting mostly of first names (note: the ARRL currently endorses use of the NATO phonetic alphabet ). The alphabet is as follows: Adam, Baker, Charlie, David, Edward, Frank, George, Henry, Ida, John, King, Lincoln, Mary, Nora, Ocean, Paul, Queen, Robert, Sam, Tom, Union, Victor, William, X-ray, Young, Zebra. Until recently, " 10-codes " were in common use for radio communications (e.g., "10-23" to indicate arrival on location or "10-86" to indicate situation under control). However, with
870-614: The Australian Capital Territory government in Australia performs all municipal functions of the city of Canberra , and thus functions as an integrated city-territory. Similarly, the City of Tokyo merged with the prefecture to form Tokyo metropolis in 1943. In Russia, there are urban districts - territories consisting of a city and nearby settlements united by one mayor's office. As a rule, urban districts are
928-558: The Jeffersontown , Shively and St. Matthews Police Departments. LMPD patrol units do not typically respond to calls for service inside these departments' jurisdictions, and vice versa. Certain LMPD divisions and specialized units provide assistance to these police agencies when necessary. Louisville Metro Police communicates using radios on both VHF and UHF frequencies, a carryover from the communications systems of LPD and JCPD. A recent citywide initiative in coordinated operations
986-542: The National Incident Management System going into effect, encouraging the use of "clear text" to avoid possible miscommunication between agencies using a common radio frequency or working jointly on an incident, the use of 10-codes is being phased out. LMPD has officially ceased using 10-codes as of October 2007, following a SOP update; however, the use of 10-codes by both officers and dispatchers remains common practice. On March 28, 2022,
1044-511: The "police often cite people for minor offenses, while cases like sexual assault and homicide go unsolved." It also found that some officers filmed themselves throwing trash at pedestrians; insulted people with disabilities; and referred to black people as "monkeys" and "animals". The chief of police is appointed by the Mayor of Louisville Metro . Interim chief Gwinn-Villaroel's command staff consists of two deputy chiefs (Patrol Bureau commander and
1102-451: The 1990s, certain specialized elements of the county and city police departments began joint operations. Most notable were the photo and fingerprint labs, the narcotics bureaus and the crimes against children departments. The purpose of this merger was to provide more efficient and cost-effective service. JCPD and LPD ceased to exist as separate entities on January 6, 2003, when the Louisville Metro Police Department became effective as part of
1160-885: The Administration Sergeant; the Major Crimes Division, which encompasses the Crimes Against Children, Homicide, Robbery, Special Victims & Financial Crime, and Forensic Investigations Units; and the Special Operations Division, under which is Special Events, Air Patrol/Special Teams Coordinator, Canine Unit, Traffic Unit, and Community Relations. The Special Investigations Unit oversees the Public Integrity and Professional Standards units. These are equivalent to an internal affairs unit. Before
1218-622: The First Amendment. The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory policing, and also whether it conducts unreasonable stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, both during patrol activities and in obtaining and executing search warrants for private homes. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD's systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline..." The Jefferson County Police Department
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#17327802531131276-566: The LMPD will begin transitioning to an Advanced Encrypted Standard (AES) radio system. The full transition is expected to take a few weeks. Until the transition is completed, starting Monday March 28, 2022 at 1000 hours, LMPD radio transitions will move from Police 1-4 to TAC 1-4. Once the transition is completed, transmissions will move back to Police 1-4 and will be AES encrypted. By the end of April, all LMPD radio communications will be AES encrypted. If your agency does not have AES encrypted radios, communication with LMPD will still be possible through
1334-442: The Louisville Metro Police Department switched their primary dispatch channels to encrypted transmissions. LMPD provided the following statement: The Louisville Metro Police Department is committed to a continued partnership with local law enforcement agencies, while at the same time never forgetting our top priority is protecting the community and the officers charged with that responsibility. On Monday March 28, 2022 at 1000 hours,
1392-489: The Louisville Metro Police Department. Major Paul Humphrey was appointed Interim Chief by Mayor Craig Greenburg. A national search will be conducted for a permanent chief. LMPD divides Jefferson County into eight patrol divisions and operates a number of special investigative and support units. The LMPD is currently negotiating a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequent to
1450-522: The Louisville Police Department began using radios for dispatching units, only the fifth department in the nation to dispatch cars in this manner. Motorcycles were introduced shortly after the cars, but were discontinued in 1984 due to high maintenance costs. Politics were part of the police department until 1929, when the state's Civil Service act prohibited discrimination on the basis of politics or religion. A Civil Service Board
1508-973: The Special Investigations Division. The Administrative Bureau controls human resources , Training Division, Administrative Services, and the Administrative Services Division, which encompasses Records Management, the Vehicle Impoundment Lot, the Property Room, and Planning and Technology. The Support Bureau provides oversight for the Narcotics/Intelligence Division, which comprises the Support Unit, Narcotics Street Enforcement Unit, Major Case Investigation Unit, Violent Crime Interdiction Unit, and
1566-443: The United States Department of Justice announced a wide-ranging investigation of the LMPD. The investigation will examine patterns of abuse, including excessive force, unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures, and whether officers discriminate on the basis of race. The Justice Department said on March 8, 2023, that there was "reasonable cause to believe" that the Louisville Metro Police Department broke people's civil rights. This
1624-550: The United States between 1902 and 2010 to consider proposals to consolidate cities and counties. Only 27 of these proposals were approved by voters. Wyandotte County, Kansas , uses the term "unified government" to refer to its consolidation with Kansas City, Kansas , and most of the towns within the county boundaries remain separate jurisdictions within the county. Individual sections of a metropolitan or regional municipality may retain some autonomous jurisdiction apart from
1682-408: The United States, including Indianapolis, Indiana ; Nashville, Tennessee ; Louisville, Kentucky ; Kansas City, Kansas ; and Lexington, Kentucky . The largest consolidated city-county in the United States by population is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , while the largest by land area is Sitka, Alaska . Consolidated city-counties are typically formed to address particular government challenges. Among
1740-403: The appointment of five "watchmen" by the town's trustees. In 1821, a captain of the watch was appointed, directly responsible for crime prevention and the apprehension of criminals. The first Sergeant was hired in that year, whose primary duty was to see that the trustees' wishes were carried out. In 1830, after the city government switched to a mayor-council arrangement, the position of captain
1798-608: The benefits of having a unified jurisdiction include potential cost savings, more efficiency, increased legal powers and revenue sources, and a more streamlined planning system. Most consolidated city-counties have a single chief executive who acts as both the city mayor and as the head of the county government, and a multi-district elected body that serves as both the city council and as the county legislative body. In many states, consolidated city-counties must be approved by voters. According to information compiled by former Albuquerque mayor David Rusk , 105 referendums were held in
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1856-681: The boroughs of Brooklyn , Queens , and Staten Island , respectively. Similar unitary authority arrangements also exist in other countries. England has six " metropolitan counties " created in 1974: Greater Manchester , Merseyside , South Yorkshire , Tyne and Wear , West Midlands , and West Yorkshire . From 1986, these metropolitan counties do not have county councils but rather joint boards for certain functions. Modern unitary authorities are similar, and are known as county boroughs in Wales . In Scotland, Aberdeen , Dundee , Edinburgh and Glasgow are functionally "independent cities", though
1914-536: The capitals of the constituent entities of the Russia and other major cities in the region. In 2020, there were 635 urban districts. In nine consolidated city-county governments in the United States, the formerly independent incorporated places maintain some governmental powers. In these cities, which the United States Census Bureau calls "consolidated cities", statistics are recorded both for
1972-448: The chief, following the demotion of Chief Richard Dotson by Mayor Jerry Abramson in 1990. On March 2, 2002 Louisville Mayor David L. Armstrong fired Police Chief Gene Sherrard due to a banquet honoring officers for exceptional valor. Two officers being honored for facing immediate danger were controversial as to what constituted immediate danger to these officers. The suspect in the case of these two officers, Desmond Rudolph, had left
2030-568: The cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven ). Nearly every larger city in Germany is an independent city, like Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich or Dresden; Austria , where the capital of Vienna is both a city and state; France , where the capital city of Paris has been coterminous with the département of Paris since 1968 ; and South Korea , where Seoul is a special city , while six other cities ( Busan , Daegu , Daejeon , Gwangju , Incheon , and Ulsan ) are metropolitan cities . Additionally,
2088-571: The city-county merger. On June 10, 2020, the Louisville city council voted unanimously to ban no-knock search warrants. The law is called Breonna's Law, in honor of Breonna Taylor who was killed by police during the execution of a no-knock search warrant. (The detectives were granted the no knock exception but the officers executing the search warrant chose not to use it.) The new law requires all officers who serve warrants to wear body cameras and have them turned on from at least five minutes before
2146-570: The citywide government. Often, in place of another level of government, local governments form councils of governments – essentially governmental organizations which are not empowered with any law-making or law enforcement powers. This is the case in the Atlanta metropolitan area , where the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) studies and makes recommendations on the impact of all major construction and development projects on
2204-542: The department began in 1974. Traffic and detective bureaus remained in the Headquarters Building at Seventh and Jefferson, while other units were placed at various districts. In 1982, the Louisville Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance allowing the mayor to remove the chief of police for specific reasons. The law was later amended to provide the mayor with the ability to both appoint and remove
2262-416: The department. The police department was given county-wide jurisdiction. Unfortunately, there was much corruption, as the police department was appointed by the city council . Thus the makeup of the police department depended heavily on the political affiliations of the council members. Divisions and districting came into use shortly thereafter, with two divisions and several districts (the number depended on
2320-604: The entire consolidated government and for the component municipalities. A part of the consolidated government is called the "balance", which the Census Bureau defines as "the consolidated city minus the semi-independent incorporated places located within the consolidated city". In Georgia, consolidations often required multiple attempts, changes in procedures, and different local laws in the state legislature. They often did not include some smaller jurisdictions. They also retained characteristics of both types of government, e.g,
2378-409: The first African-American chief of police in Louisville, KY . In 2019 LMPD concealed hundreds of thousands of records relating to child sexual abuse by its officers. In response to an inquiry by The Courier-Journal the department said it no longer held any records, when it fact it held at least 738,000 records which were later deleted. The U. S. Department of Justice on April 26, 2021, issued
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2436-402: The four policewomen of the Louisville Police Department were dismissed because it was thought that there were no duties which required a woman. A policewoman would next be appointed in 1943, with nine more being appointed in as many years. In 1969, Urania "Kitty" Laun became the department's first sergeant and later appointed lieutenant and the first female district commander. Decentralization of
2494-465: The house the officers went to through the back door and went to a stolen vehicle. Rudolph, who was unarmed, attempted to drive off, but there are conflicting statements as to if the car was operable or not. The view of the policemen involved was that the car was operable and, believing they may be struck by the vehicle, constituted a danger to their lives, while the opposing view is that the policemen did not follow proper police procedure by failing to secure
2552-544: The introduction of rowboats, the county approved the purchase of a motorboat . Jefferson County's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was formed in 1971. In 1981, JCPD received authorization from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council to conduct annual in-service training. In 1999, it became certified to conduct its own police academy . At the time of merger, JCPD was divided into four patrol districts: Adam, Baker, Charlie and David. During
2610-423: The latter may result from consolidation of a city and a county and may also have the same powers as a consolidated city-county. An independent city is a city not deemed by its state to be located within the boundary of any county and considered a primary administrative division of its state. A consolidated city-county differs from an independent city in that the city and county both nominally exist, although they have
2668-414: The merger of the city and county police departments, there were six "city" districts (patrolled by LPD) and four "county" districts (patrolled by JCPD). The city districts were identified numerically, while the county districts were labeled using a phonetic alphabet : Adam, Baker, Charlie, David. On October 10, 2004, Jefferson County was divided into eight patrol divisions, each headed by an officer holding
2726-434: The rank of major. The first, second, fourth and fifth divisions roughly comprise the former jurisdiction of the city police department, while the third, sixth, seventh and eighth divisions make up the area formerly patrolled by the county police department. It is common for longtime police officers to refer to a division by the name that area held before merger (e.g., the old fourth district), just as they will sometimes refer to
2784-428: The rear exit and that the car was inoperable and did not pose any danger to the officers. Rudolph was shot by the two officers 22 times and Rudolph died from his wounds. After the firing of the chief of police, many Louisville policemen marched in front of Louisville City Hall to protest the firing of Sherrard and demanded the resignation of Mayor Armstrong. In 2003 Robert C. White was appointed by Jerry Abramson as
2842-413: The region, but generally cannot stop them. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) is a true government agency of the state of Georgia , and does control some state transportation funding to the cities and counties, but otherwise has very little authority beyond this small power of the purse . The case of New York City is unique, in that the city consists of five boroughs , each of which
2900-536: The same sort of functions as American consolidated city-counties. One example is the City of Toronto , created in 1998 from the amalgamation of the central government and the six constituent municipalities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (a type of regional municipality ), itself originally created in 1954. In Germany, Berlin and Hamburg are both cities and states (the state of Bremen consists of
2958-523: The term is not used. London is unique however, being a ceremonial county (officially known as Greater London ) containing the 32 London boroughs. Enclaved within Greater London, the ancient City of London forms a distinct county, which today forms only a tiny part of what most consider to be London as a capital city, which takes up 607 square miles. The Canadian province of Ontario contains several single-tier municipalities , which serve
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#17327802531133016-484: The time of day) being established. In 1891, the department first purchased bicycles to serve with mounted police . The practice of using bicycles would wane throughout the 20th century, but would see a revival in 1993 as they served as an effective alternative to motor vehicles . Three Cadillacs were purchased in November 1908 to address the problem of lawbreakers making getaways in the " horseless carriages ." In 1932,
3074-435: The warrant is served to at least five minutes after it is served. On June 18, 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department policy was changed so that all officers will have a new duty to intervene when they see misconduct from their fellow officers. The new standard operating procedure says that officers should act to prevent other officers, "regardless of rank or assignment, from using unlawful or excessive force." In April 2021,
3132-454: Was created and as such they are not consolidated city-counties. Instead, the Code of Virginia uses the term "consolidated city." Similarly, Carson City was consolidated with Ormsby County, Nevada in 1969, but the county was simultaneously dissolved. The city is now a municipality independent of any county. Louisville Board of Aldermen Too Many Requests If you report this error to
3190-468: Was established in February 1868. In 1902, police officers providing their own horses were compensated an extra $ 10 each month. Two years later, this practice ceased with a wage increase from $ 40 to $ 60 monthly for officers. The first chief of police to be granted use of a county car was Harry Kendall in 1918. Following a letter from Chief Ambrose Hagerman noting that there were no river deaths in 1932 due to
3248-422: Was established, consisting of three members of each political party with the mayor serving as a tiebreaker. On May 20, 1921, Alice Dunlop became the first female officer in the Louisville Police Department, with Bertha Whedbee becoming the first African American to be a police officer in Louisville. While technically equal with their male counterparts, females were only employed in limited capacities. In 1938,
3306-616: Was replaced by an elected "Marshall." In 1851, the mayor was put directly over the police. In 1856, a mayor-appointed office of Chief of Police was created, a position that earned $ 2,000 a year. The next year, the police force was reorganized in the image of modern police departments in the East, with the watchmen being called "policemen." Following the Civil War , the Kentucky General Assembly passed an act to reorganize
3364-669: Was the result of an investigation that started after Breonna Taylor's death. The Louisville Metro Police Department has had officers accused of misconduct, fired, and other officers have been arrested. Below are some of those incidents. This is not an all inclusive list. In 2023, the United States Department of Justice announced its findings of the Louisville Metro Police. The report found LMPD used "excessive force" and "an aggressive style of policing" against Black people. The Investigation found that
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