Urban League Leaders Offer Recommendations as Louisville Officals Proceed with Police Reform

By Array Array , National Urban League
Published 01 AM EDT, Fri Aug 15, 2025
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NEW YORK and LOUISVILLE, KY — (August 11, 2025) --  As Louisville begins the search for an independent monitor to oversee reforms to its police department, national and local Urban League leaders have offered recommendations for strategies to transform the troubled department into a force that respects all residents and advances public safety. 

In a letter to Mayor Craig Greenberg and Chief Paul Humphrey, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Louisvillw Urban League President Lyndon E. Pryor thanked the officials for remaining committed to implementing reforms despite the U.S. Department of Justice withdrawing from a consent decree.

"The very reason the USDOJ began its initial investigation into LMPD after the horrific killing of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor was due to the lack of accountability," the leaders wrote. "This investigation found longstanding patterns and practices of misconduct. Residents have been subjected to excessive force, unconstitutional searches, unlawful execution of search warrants, unconstitutional police stops, racial discrimination against Black people, infringements on protected speech, and discrimination against people with disabilities."

The leaders' asked the officials:

  • to maintain their commitment to the terms of the original federal consent decree in full, which provides the strongest mechanism for achieving constitutional policing in Louisville; 

  • to introduce an ordinance that codifies the terms of the original federal consent decree and is administered by a monitor that is selected and accountable to a commission composed of representatives of the Mayor, City Council and the Civilian Review and Accountability Board;

  • to bring the community, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and community-approved experts to the decision table in a meaningful way.

"As you move forward with reforms, please consider the Urban League Movement as a partner and resource in advocating for policing that respects the dignity of Louisville residents and advances public safety," the leaders wrote. "Louisville and its residents are once again at a pivotal juncture. We are encouraged that the city has committed to the long road leading to the transformation of LMPD. The Urban League Movement is similarly committed to providing accountability and support along the way."