Survey: Louisville residents prioritize crime reduction, honesty, openness in next LMPD chief
Experience fighting crime and maintaining a quality police department, along with a track record of transparency and openness, are qualities many Louisville residents want prioritized in selecting a new police chief.
Those findings were pulled from responses to a recent survey commissioned by the city following the devastating U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Louisville Metro Police and city government that found numerous civil rights violations from 2016 to 2021.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said the results, released Friday, will be taken into account as he hires the next chief.
“Selecting who permanently leads our police department is an extraordinarily important decision and we want to receive all the community input we can,” Greenberg said.
About 93% of the more than 1,200 respondents said they live in Louisville. About 75% were white and about 50% were men. More than 45% were age 55 or older. Responses were taken between April 27 and May 15.
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A track record running a clean and efficient police department was a key qualification many cited, with more than 72% of respondents ranking it among their top five priorities. While just 31% ranked prior experience as a police chief in their top five qualifications, experience recruiting and maintaining a qualified staff, along with a commitment to transparency and openness, were priorities for many respondents.
More than 50% of those who took the survey said the next chief's top priority should be crime reduction and cutting into gun violence. More than 45% cited staff accountability as an aim that should also be spotlighted.
"Honesty, integrity, character" was the runaway choice for leadership quality respondents were seeking, with more than 76% citing it as factors they considered most important.
The title of LMPD police chief has been a hot potato in recent years.
Former Chief Steve Conrad held the position from 2012 until the summer of 2020, when he was fired by then-Mayor Greg Fischer following the law enforcement killing of David McAtee. Robert Schroeder took over as interim chief until he retired months later. He was followed by Yvette Gentry, who held the interim role until Erika Shields took the full-time role in January 2021. She announced her resignation last November after Greenberg was elected, with Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel taking over the interim role since then.
Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville police: Survey shows community's priorities for next chief
