LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The budget talks continue for Louisville's Metro Council Budget Committee as members sift through Mayor Greg Fischer's spending plan for $986 million. On Monday, the discussion centered on city departments like the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN). This means anti-violence initiatives which make up part of Fischer's $20 million "Reimagining Public Safety" proposal to reduce violence. OHSN's budget would expand to $4.5 million under the mayor's plan, for programs like Pivot to Peace at area hospitals and other things. 

"Reimagining Public Safety" means finding ways to curb violence outside of law enforcement. It's the new strategy Louisville leaders are turning to and looking to pay for to decrease shootings in the city. Monday night, OSHN Director Monique Williams gave Metro Council members a sort of road map for how her office tries to accomplish this goal. 

"We have a crisis of police-community legitimacy, and we have to address that," Williams said. "And so the conversation and strategies for violence prevention have to expand beyond enforcment, because they can't do everything that needs to be done to effectively address this crisis."

Some council members had questions on the specifics, like what metric will indicate the office's success or failure? Also, what kind of timeline for that change can they expect?

"What sort of timeline are we looking at in terms of being able to see a difference?" Councilwoman Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-District 8, asked.

"Good question," answered Williams. "It's something we should look at as a need for continued investment, especially as we begin to see what is working," she continued.

Williams said the obvious signs of success will be fewer shootings and less recidivism. The committee continues its budget hearings Tuesday, with a review of the mayor's proposed spending plan for LMPD.