LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- In the midst of an uptick in violent crime in Louisville, Police Chief Steve Conrad spoke out and pleaded for people to come forward with what they know about the homicides to police. Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) report 53 homicides so far in 2019 as of Wednesday, 52 of them from gun violence. 

There has been a series of violent weekends, including brazen acts. Teens have been victims; one man was shot and killed in the daylight in Old Louisville. 

"There's a frustrating amount of violent crime in our community particularly over the last several weeks. It has been alarming to everyone that lives here," Chief Conrad told Spectrum News 1's Ashleigh Mills. "I am certain that it is alarming to the victims and to their families. I know it has got to be alarming to the neighbors who may have witnessed the violence or at least have witnessed the aftermath with the police tape and officers and detectives doing their investigation," Conrad continued, "but I think it's been alarming and frustrating for our officers and detectives who are out there doing those investigations." 

Conrad says he's changed some policy to strategize how to try to curb the violence. He claims his officers are doing all they can, working hard. 

Conrad says he's changed pursuit policy, to allow officers to pursue stolen cars under certain circumstances. "I felt like it was imperative to take that additional challenge even with associated risks because of what we were seeing," he said. He says some of the crimes are committed by stolen cars and stolen guns. Therefore, he urges people to lock up their firearms and their cars.

"These cars are being stolen all over the community. Don't think you've got a safe neighborhood where nothing happens. I'll tell you there are groups of people going through every neighborhood," he said. 

The Chief says they work a "people, places, and narcotics strategy" to focus on the people they believe are committing the violent crime, in the places where they see a disproportionate amount of violent crime, and the sell and use of narcotics they feel is fueling some of it. However he admits the violence is popping up in different places.

After explaining how his officers are trying to handle the uptick in violence, Conrad turned his message to the public: "it is time for people to tell police what they know."

Conrad says often times, there's no cooperation from the victims or witnesses with police. "We've had situations where we've had the victims of shootings that won't even tell us their name. It is exceedingly difficult to solve a homicide, but it is next to impossible to solve a homicide without any information. What we're hearing all too often is the victim say, 'don't worry about it. I'm not telling you anything. I'll take care of it myself,' which just tells me there's going to be another tragedy," said Conrad. 

Neighbors and community members have held community conversations where the topic of violence has been discussed. Anti-violence activist Tod Moore-Baker, with New Day Ministries, has recently postponed a prayer walk because he felt it would not be wise for people to be openly outdoors during any potential violence. "It's a shame that the uptick in violence in happening and that people are losing their lives. It's our goal to empower these youth and these young adults as well as their families to help change their way of thinking and their way of life," he told Spectrum News 1. 

Conrad said neighbors with any information should call 574-LMPD to report what they know anonymously. In a time when the city is slimming its budget, Conrad says he ultimately does not have enough officers. Going forward on a trimmed budget, the staff that remain at LMPD will mostly be those people handling calls and working investigations.