OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

GREG FISCHER VINCENT JAMES

MAYOR CHIEF OF COMMUNITY BUILDING

To: Members of the Community Action Collective

From: Chief Vincent James
Date: February 8, 2021
Re: Response to CAC requests

I am writing to thank you for CAC’s willingness to help us as we work to address the significant
health and safety concerns at Jefferson Square Park (JSP), and to respond to the requests that you
have made of the administration. Louisville Metro Government does not have control over some
of the issues you raise, but we are acting on those we do – and can connect you with other
agencies if you like. Here are our replies to the CAC issues:

Permanent fountain or statue or both for EMTs named or in the likeness of Breonna
Taylor.
We are discussing plans for a permanent marker to recognize how JSP became the epicenter for a
reckoning over racial injustice after the tragic death of Breonna Taylor. We welcome your
involvement in this process.

Affordable housing for the houseless that want it and hotel rooms until they get it.
Late last week, our Homeless Outreach Team was in the park to do an assessment of those living
there. We have determined that they all meet the requirements for a rapid housing voucher, and
we have arranged for temporary housing for them, as they work to access more permanent
housing.

There is a larger issue that we as a community must address – the need for more affordable
housing. Over the past several years, Mayor Fischer’s administration has allocated $51 million to
the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, but much more work remains. We would very much
appreciate your help highlighting this need and working with us to ensure everyone in our
community has affordable housing. We also would love to present to CAC plans within our new
Division of Homeless Services and get your feedback and help highlighting volunteer
opportunities.

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Support for Unity Church to become Injustice Square Park Social Justice Center, so we
can take the work and training at ISP indoors.
Metro Council members have Neighborhood Development Funds that could be directed to this
goal, assuming Unity Church wants this support. For general city funds, the upcoming budget
process is the best vehicle for this request, once the project scope and cost is understood.

Assistance in securing the old Arch Diocese Headquarters right across from Unity. This
includes proper zoning.
The site is zoned C-2, which would permit a community service type use (counseling, meeting
space, gathering, food distribution and other similar services). Any shelter-use would require a
conditional use permit, which needs to be approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Once
you have a more precise proposal, our Develop Louisville team can assist in outlining the
process to seek approval for the site.

Support for security and community policing training.

The Mayor, Public Safety Chief Hess and LMPD Chief Shields fully support community-
oriented policing. Mayor Fischer has said repeatedly that we must build police-community trust,
and Chief Shields has reiterated that officers must get out of their cars and get to know the
people they serve. The Hillard Heintze report cited the need for work in this area, and it will
receive Chief Shields’ full attention. Further, you may be familiar with our Synergy Project,
which is designed to bring police and residents together to build trust and legitimacy that will
increase collaboration and lead to systemic change. As COVID restrictions are lifted, we expect
in-person meetings to resume and we’d encourage your support and participation.
In addition, we will explore having OSHN or one of its partners coordinate an information session on
conflict resolution and de-escalation training. The local Peace Ed initiative has a wonderful program on
these issues. In terms of community “policing,” perhaps one action could take the form of neighborhood
block watches. The Center for Neighborhoods has more information on best practices for such
neighbhorhood-level involvement.

Officer Mattingly has to go. We need to see real attempts to get him fired.
Sgt. Mattingly was investigated criminally by the state Attorney General’s office and for policy
violations by LMPD’s Professional Standards Unit in relation to the Breonna Taylor shooting.
No violations of law or policy were found. However, the case is still under investigation by the
FBI.

Drop the protest- and protest-related charges or support for those efforts must not decline.
LMPD overpoliced and charged us the whole time.
The Jefferson County Attorney makes these decisions. He has dismissed over 400 protest-related
charges over the past eight months.

Support and resources for a Breeway Basketball League and Cheerleaders

Louisville Metro Parks & Recreation can facilitate this, perhaps in connection with the annual
Dirt Bowl in west Louisville.

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Support for Roots 101 to keep its place on Museum Row
Mayor Fischer is supportive of Roots 101 and is in regular communication with its founder,
Lamont Collins, about the need for a business plan to move this effort forward.

Downtown development corporation should give money and physical space (living space) to
people. Real economic investment.
Louisville Downtown Partnership is an independent organization so specific requests will need
to go directly to them.

Louisville Metro Government is working to provide more wealth building opportunities for
minorities, specifically around education and resources for tech skill acquisition through the
Future of Work initiative, Code Louisville, and Tech Louisville. LMG investment includes
funding to AMPED and LCCC to expand tech upskilling programs and access to tech jobs. The
city just closed a Request for Information for a minority business incubator and will be releasing
a Request for Proposals with funds for a minority business incubator. In addition, the Mayor in
September signed an executive order to create the Equity in Contracting and Procurement Task
Force, which is focusing on building Black community wealth through supplier diversity
initiatives, particularly related to capital building projects.

Protestors cars have been towed and some have hospital bills due to being arrested
aggressively. Don't know what you can do but there are related cost issues.
We can address these types of cases on an individual basis by having people submit a claim.
Here is a link to the form, along with instructions on how to file a claim.

Folks will need records expunged but we know this happens over time.
This is a process set by state law and is overseen by the Kentucky State Police and the
Administrative Office of the Courts. This link has more information and an FAQ on
expungement process that may help.

LMPD has never acknowledged the brutal killing of Breonna or have even given a formal
apology. They are the reasons we have been protesting this long. Where is the
accountability?
Mayor Fischer, who speaks for all city agencies, has repeatedly apologized for the tragic death of
Breonna Taylor, saying more than once that he is “deeply, deeply sorry.” As early as May 29, he
talked about immediate reforms underway and noted, “These changes – and more to come –
should signal that I hear you. Changes were needed – and I’m sorry it took the death of Breonna
Taylor for us to make them.” Beyond those words, though, is action – including the $12 million
settlement with the Taylor estate and the many reforms (see below) designed to keep this kind of
tragedy from happening again.

The warrant process needs to be open, recorded and documented. Judge Shaw's signature
on those 5 bogus warrants killed Breonna. That whole process needs to be overhauled.
LMPD has made many substantive changes to its warrant process in the wake of this case,
including those in Breonna’s Law that ban no-knock warrants and require active body cameras

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whenever a search warrant is served. Other changes were made as part of the settlement with
Breonna’s estate to increase oversight and accountability of the warrant process within LMPD.
Additionally, the LMPD warrant process was examined as part of the Hillard Heintze review,
and multiple additional recommendations to the process were recommended.
While we are making changes internally, we have no control over the courts. We would support
an overall review of the process, from start to finish, in cooperation with others in the judicial
system.

Police contract process needs to be open.

The changes we seek are well-informed by the ongoing public discussion about reimagining
public safety, and the public will have a chance to weigh in as part of the Metro Council
approval process. Ground rules established at the start of these negotiations stipulate that they be
private. One of Louisville Metro Government’s top goals was to quickly begin negotiating the
contract changes we believe are necessary to improve the police department and boost police-
community trust and legitimacy.

Your communication also referenced the upcoming anniversary of the Breonna Taylor’s death.
We are happy to work with you and others on that as you like.
Before I close, I want to repeat that Mayor Fischer and his team are dedicated to creating
transformation from the tragedy of Breonna Taylor’s death. We recognize and greatly appreciate
the work of activists like yourself in shining a bright light on the need for action, and for reform.
Just a reminder of some of the actions that have resulted from our partnerships:

o An external top-to-bottom review of LMPD policies and procedures that Chief Shields
will use as a roadmap toward greater reform.
o Breonna’s Law, which bans the use of “No-Knock” warrants, sets guidelines for the
execution of all search warrants by LMPD and requires active body cameras whenever a
warrant is served.
o We’ve implemented and proposed numerous other reforms to policies about search
warrants, body cameras, drug testing, early warning systems, personnel files, use of
force, duty to intervene, and use of tear gas.
o We signed into law the new independent Civilian Review and Accountability Board
and Office of Inspector General to give an additional layer of review to LMPD
disciplinary matters, with a commitment to push for a state law change to give them
subpoena power.
o We hired a new police chief, Erika Shields, who is committed to building a culture of
guardianship within LMPD.
o We relaunched Synergy, designed to strengthen relationships between police and
residents that are grounded in trust and legitimacy in order to make needed structural and
community changes.

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 o To build deeper police-community relations, LMPD created a housing program
to incentivize officers and sergeants to live in certain low-income census tracts and
encouraged officers to volunteer at organizations in the neighborhoods they are policing.
o LMPD also is working to increase the recruitment, hiring and promotion of women,
Black, and other minority police officers to ensure the department better reflects the
demographics of the larger community it serves.
o The city and partners will work to establish a framework where social workers and
other non-law enforcement professionals will be involved in responding to certain calls
for police service.
o Beyond all this, the Mayor’s strategic plan – aimed at economic development, jobs,
affordable housing, education and our built environment – is focused intentionally on
social equity and justice.

Those are just a few examples of the things we can achieve when we work together, and we look
forward to continuing these efforts with you as partners.

Next steps:
I hope we can continue to work on the issues noted above. There is much work left to do as we
advance toward our goal of our city being a model of racial equity.

As it relates to JSP, it has become unsafe and unhealthy. We have begun the relocation of the
unsheltered people and cleaning of the park. We will maintain the memorial items left in the park
as we continue to work with all interested parties to identify a permanent location.

We also are working to move some of the services and programming that had developed at the
park to alternative locations and look forward to your partnership in that. From here on, the park
will continue to be open and be subject to the standard rules of park operations including a ban
on tents, camping and fires, as well as a 6 a.m. opening and 11 p.m. closing.

Thank you again for your support and your leadership.

Vincent E. James Sr.

Chief of Community Building

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