Local
Louisville's police watchdog says LMPD can ignore his findings â and he wants the city to change that
Inspector General Ed Harness told a national oversight conference in Louisville that his office lacks the power to enforce its recommendations, and Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe says she's ready to pursue changes.
Louisville's independent police watchdog says reform at the city's police department is moving forward, but his office still lacks the authority to make it stick.
Inspector General Ed Harness, who investigates complaints and reviews the policies and practices of Louisville Metro Police, told an audience Monday that the department has broad discretion over whether to act on his office's findings.
"There's been a great deal of latitude given to the department in their discretion as to whether or not they respond to our recommendations," Harness said.
Because no outside authority is empowered to affirm that his office's analysis is correct, Harness said, the department can simply set his recommendations aside. He called for a city ordinance requiring LMPD to respond to the office's recommendations, along with an independent arbiter who could weigh in when the two sides disagree.
"We need an ordinance to say, 'Look, you have to respond to these recommendations,' and we do need a referee or an arbiter to say, 'Look, I think the analysis is correct here from the Office of Inspector General â LMPD, you may have gotten this one wrong,'" he said.
Harness has previously identified problems inside the department, including heavy detective caseloads and racial disparities in traffic stops and searches.
His remarks came during the annual conference of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, which is being held in Louisville this week. The gathering drew civilian oversight leaders, law enforcement officials and community members.
Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe, who attended, said the presentation gave her several ideas she wants to pursue. She pointed to a pattern that she said undermines the watchdog's work: findings that LMPD disputes, followed by a mayor who sides with the department.
"How can we put more teeth [in the office]? Because you see him in his office come up with findings that LMPD disagrees with and the mayor always stands with LMPD, and that's always troubling," Ruhe said.
As the conference winds down later this week, Harness said he hopes his message carries beyond the room.
"This is a transparent and complete picture of what's going on in Louisville and the steps that might be necessary for us to be more effective with our oversight," he said.