Mayor Greenberg,

During your State of the City address on January 30, 2025, you confidently stated that you intend to uphold the signed consent decree between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Louisville Metro Government, with or without a federal signature. While this is welcomed news, you offered little specifics on how this will be implemented and, more importantly, what role community members will play.

The DOJ’s findings of systemic misconduct, racialized abuse, and unconstitutional practices within the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) were not mere allegations but evidence-based conclusions drawn from extensive investigations. The consent decree is a mandate from the people of Louisville, a response to years of pain, protests, and demands for justice.

We, the undersigned community members and leaders of Louisville, are writing to express our belief that the community-centered processes and responses outlined by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and her team should be maintained and exceeded in the city’s implementation. 

We demand that you and members of Metro Council, as our elected leaders, show courage and commitment by taking the following actions:

1. Publicly affirm Louisville’s unwavering commitment to implementing the consent decree in its entirety, regardless of federal actions.
2. Establish a robust community oversight board with the authority to monitor and ensure the full implementation of the consent decree. This board could be the current Civilian Review & Accountability Board as long as it a) includes diverse representation from impacted communities, activists, civil rights leaders, legal experts, and everyday citizens; b) is afforded the autonomy and authority to enforce the decree and any subsequent corrective actions.
3. Hire an independent monitor. A monitor will ensure the spirit of the decree is followed in detail and serve as the community’s arms in the fight for accountability. The search and selection for a monitor must continue and include direct community participation in the review and selection of applicants. 
4. Ensure transparency and accountability in every step of the consent decree implementation process. Regular public updates from the city with opportunities for community input are essential.

The consent decree, as written, still leaves much room for interpretation and requires greater detail. Significant questions must be answered, and those answers should come from the community–at the table, always. Anything less undermines the agreement and all but eliminates the chance for success. 

Now is the time to move beyond words. We need not wait on the judge or new DOJ officials. They have made their positions clear. Louisville must forge ahead. The cost of inaction is more lives lost, more families broken, and more trust eroded between the police and the communities they serve. We cannot afford to remain mired in conflict and division. We urge you to seize this moment and lead Louisville toward a future rooted in justice, equity, and respect for all.

Sincerely,
Concerned Citizens