LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s mayor and police chief say addressing violent crime is their top priority.

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville’s mayor and police chief say addressing violent crime is their top priority

  • They took questions Wednesday as part of a conversation on city issues including public safety at a luncheon hosted by the Louisville Forum

  • January will mark one year since Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, took office with Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel leading the police department

  • The latest totals from the Louisville Metro Police Department show there have been 335 non-fatal criminal shootings this year, a decrease of 9%, and 130 homicides, an increase of 3%

They took questions Wednesday as part of a conversation on city issues, including public safety, at a luncheon hosted by the Louisville Forum.

January will mark one year since Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, took office with Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel leading the police department.

“I’m pleased that we’re in a space now that everybody can recognize: we got a gang problem, because at one point we were shying away from it,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.

The police department is going after gangs, successfully dismantling them and conducting outreach in schools, she said.

“Now I have 25 dedicated LMPD officers, which includes a lieutenant and a sergeant, who are able to go inside JCPS schools and teach gang-resistant training to our children between the ages of eight and 14,” she said.

Greenberg said his focus each day is on public safety and reducing the amount of gun violence.  

The latest totals from the Louisville Metro Police Department show there have been 335 non-fatal criminal shootings this year, a decrease of 9%, and 130 homicides, an increase of 3%.

“That is over 400, far too many gun violent crimes that have happened in our city that we want to help reduce,” said Greenberg. “And so we will continue to focus on prevention. We will continue to support our police department to prevent crime from happening and to catch those and hold accountable those who commit violent crimes.”

Louisville Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-District 19, said he was pleased with the administration’s focus on public safety, but wants to see more collaboration between the city and Jefferson County Public Schools.

“I spoke to a JCPS board member yesterday and we are both convinced that the partnership between these two organizations is nowhere near where it needs to be to coordinate on things like bus stops, things like sharing intelligence, things like gang activity,” said Piagentini. “I want to see more action there.”

Greenberg said the city can’t keep talking about the gun violence epidemic if Louisville doesn’t get serious about guns.

The city needs help from the state legislature and is asking for local autonomy to make decisions on reducing violence, he said.

Related Stories