LEXINGTON, Ky. — The issue of whether to ban no-knock warrants or not is on the table in Lexington.
Nine council members voted in favor of the ordinance banning no-knock warrants. Six members voted against it.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council made its initial vote during a work session.
Hours before the vote on Tuesday, Black faith leaders renewed their calls to permanently ban no-knock warrants.
At least a dozen Black faith leaders marched down the Main Street, once again calling for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council to pass police reform legislation.
“Please know that the Black faith leaders of Lexington and vicinity and so many others have been calling for police reform for a long long time,” said Pastor Joseph Owens.
Owens read the letter at the steps of Main Street Baptist Church, and later, the letters were hand-delivered to the city of Lexington.
A little over a year ago, the faith leaders said they began laying the groundwork expressing their concerns for economic, social and police reforms. Tuesday was the day where the council decided on no-knock warrants during a work session.
“So we implore you, council, as you vote today, to vote in favor of putting this proposed ordinance on the agenda so that it can be voted on at Thursday, June 10, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council meeting,” Owens said.
The work session is the first round of voting if it passes at this stage. Current language from the Planning and Public Safety Committee said for officers to wait a “reasonable amount of time” after knocking before entering.
However, Black faith leaders are calling to require a minimum wait time.
“We're calling for the city ordinance of permanently banning no-knock warrants with no kind of exception, and then at least police, it will require a 15-second minimum wait before entry when executing knock and announced warrants,” Owens said.
The group is also urging the Council to not add any exceptions to the proposed legislation.
“We implore you as a Council, not to make any additional amendments to the proposed ordinance that would water down the band of mirror exceptions found in Senate Bill 4 that was recently passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, passing a watered-down ordinance would do little or nothing to follow the calls of local police reform,” Owens said.
Ultimately, Reverend Clark Williams said these leaders will monitor the outcome.
“We will be paying close attention to see who votes on the side of racial justice and equity and who doesn't, and we will report that out, but we always know that elections have consequences,” Owens said.
Now the ordinance will have its first reading during the regular council meeting on Thursday.