LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A "top to bottom" review of Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) is set to happen, conducted by Chicago-based company Hillard Heitze. Mayor Greg Fischer announced on Thursday. However, some citizens are ready for more action, calling the review "a distraction."
Fischer explained the review will focus on things like accountability, community engagement, supervision, use of force, and bias-free training.
West Louisville journalist Anthony Gaines, with Colors Newspaper, claimed "this top to bottom review is just another formality of [the mayor's] that he's gonna use to buy time to distract people from what people are asking for."
Protesters have been calling for the three officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor to be charged, arrested, and fired, for weeks. Brett Hankison has been fired. But now, Gaines claims people are ready for Fischer to resign, as well.
"The people are not gonna stop. They're not gonna forget about what's going on," Gaines said.
Fischer has told Spectrum News 1 that his resigning would solve no problems, that the answer to racial justice and healing for the city is in no simple, quick act. He's said the officers have due process, and if charges come, that will happen as the investigation into Taylor's death warrants.
As for the review of police, "I think we already have the information that we need to be able to make some dramatic changes to the systems that we have in place today," said Kate Miller.
Miller, an ACLU Kentucky activist, wants to defund police.
"We're a little late to the game. A lot of organizations, including organizations in Louisville, have been calling for divestment in policing and incarceration for a very long time," she added.
Citizens now have through Friday, July 17, to send in their views on what they want to see in the next police chief. Gaines would like to see a black woman hold the post, saying, "only a black person will be able to convey the messages to the people down there protesting in a way that they can receive it."