ACLU of Kentucky Responds to National Report Finding Continued Concerns Around Police Misconduct After Federal Reform Efforts Were Abandoned

The American Civil Liberties Union released a new report today, Regressive Policing Under President Trump, raising concerns that patterns of excessive force and racial discrimination identified by prior Department of Justice investigations were ongoing when the Trump administration abandoned federal police oversight.
The report provides a one-year update on the ACLU’s Seven States Safety Campaign, which examined police misconduct and transparency in jurisdictions across seven states, including Kentucky. The campaign reviewed use-of-force reports and other records to determine whether the problems previously identified by the DOJ were continuing after federal reform efforts were withdrawn.

“The findings in this report make clear that when the federal government walked away from police reform, the problems identified in Louisville did not disappear,” said Amber Duke, executive director of the ACLU of Kentucky. “Louisville residents deserve enforceable reforms that strengthen transparency, improve accountability, reduce unnecessary uses of force, and ensure people experiencing crisis receive care rather than escalation. Metro Council must move the Community Commitment forward into law so these reforms are not abandoned, delayed, or watered down.”

The full report is available at aclu.org.

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislature and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms. For additional information, visit our website at: www.aclu-ky.org.