LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky's largest city has a new top cop, effective at Chief Erika Shields' swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. She previously served as police chief in Atlanta, and at least one of the people she worked with is giving her high marks for working with the Atlanta Citizen Review Board (ACRB). Louisville's new Civilian Review and Accountability Board is modeled after Atlanta's.
Metro Council member Paula McCraney (D, District 7) spearheaded the efforts to adopt the city's new method of accountability. It's an 11-member board to include citizen members and question and comment on an Inspector General's investigations of allegations made against the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). It's one way of ushering in an era of police reform in the turbulent times of unrest following the death of Breonna Taylor.
"It never should be that a police department is policing themselves," said McCraney. "That another set of eyes is on the police department.”
The ACRB's Executive Director Lee Reid shared words of praise on the working relationship he had with Shields in Atlanta, saying "Without question, working with Chief Shields has been the best chief to work with. She’s [attentive], she took the conversation seriously as far as what can be done and what we need to do to move the police department in that direction."
"She is open to exploring the possibilities," Reid added.
As members of Louisville's Board are currently being selected, one of the candidates weighed in. Kungu Njugana, one of the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) two nominations, expressed disappointment in the new chief.
“It’s a little tone [deaf] considering where she came from in Atlanta. She was the chief over Rayshard Brooks, but I think we need to be positive," said Njugana. "She wants to do a lot of work here and make changes."
Rayshard Brooks was killed by Atlanta Police in June. Shields resigned from the police department after that. She's also recognized as one of the chiefs of police to have marched for racial justice with demonstrators.
Regardless of this, Reid believes Shields can help bring healing and restore trust between police and the community. He has some advice for citizens, though, telling people to support and believe in the process.
“It only takes one incident to make things go like, ‘oh, nobody’s doing anything,' you know, and then that slows you back," Reid cautioned.
Njugana believes in the new accountability and is hoping he will be selected to serve on the new board.
"I think it’s important for every citizen to have a say in the police force in this community. Police are empowered to do a lot of things over our lives, and I think we should have a say in that," he explained.
McCraney also has high expectations of the Chief. "I expect her to come to Louisville and fully embrace what we have put together," McCraney said. "And I think she will be very pleased that a lot of research went into ours, and she has nothing to fear especially if she’s going to run a tight ship, which I understand is what she’s going to do.”
The 11 Board members will be selected by Mayor Greg Fischer, then sent back to Metro Council for final approval. Fischer's office says that could happen by the end of February, at the earliest.