LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With a couple of weeks as Louisville’s new, interim police chief now under her belt, Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel says she has several ideas on how to make Kentucky’s largest city a safer place.

What You Need To Know

  •  Interim police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel says cutting crime is her top priority

  •  She wants to secure more funding for training

  •  She hopes to get officers out in the community to build trust

  • Gwinn-Villaroel hopes to be named permanent chief

Louisville Metro Police Department interim chief Gwinn-Villaroel says cutting down on crime is her top priority.

“Everybody within this city has a right, I mean a true right, to go to church, school to the grocery store to the gas station to come outdoors and just sit on the front porch in peace,” she said in a one-on-one interview with Spectrum News 1.

In her new role, Gwinn-Villaroel says she’ll work to get investigators more training and secure the funding it takes to do that. She also wants to focus on youth programs that may help deter young people from ever entering a life of crime.

Perhaps her biggest priority, she says, is getting officers out into the community to build more trust and better relationships will pay off in helping lower crime.

“Bringing the community into our world and making sure that we’re listening to them and they’re hearing us, is huge… and there will be more initiatives and more forums on the horizon.” Gwinn-Villaroel added, “So I’m excited about that. So community building and fighting that violent crime and using whatever resource we possibly can is going to be great for us for 2023.”

Since taking the top spot at LMPD, chief Gwinn-Villaroel has been working on training clergy members on how to be a link between law enforcement and their congregations—helping them better understand police work.

She and other officers are also working to visit barber shops and salons to talk to community members and hear their concerns.

Gwinn-Villaroel has a direct message for the community. She said, “I want you to understand that you have all of me. You have a leader here that is willing to listen and to build some bridges and to actually hear you. I hear you and I see you. And I’m looking forward to great partnership as well as we continue to work on things that are shortcoming on both sides that we work together in order for us to heal and for us to build these relationships that I know is going to come out on the other side.” So this is who I am. I’m passionate and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

She says she hopes if she is the best fit for the city—she’ll get to serve as Louisville’s permanent police chief.

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