Thread by @phillipmbailey

The chief and his top @LMPD commanders are assembling in City Hall. #Louisville

At the outset, the Public Safety Committee is discussing @BillHollander’s measure dealing with homeless camps. It would require a 21-day notice before destroying those camps: cjky.it/2AtKi84

.@BillHollander is amending his measure to strike language requiring the city to store items retrieved from a homeless encampment. It would only happen during an emergency removal, he says.

.@BillHollander says @louhomeless has informed him that there are 40 families waiting for space in local shelters. #Louisville

.@BillHollander says he originally thought of a 30-day notice but pointed out Indianapolis has a 14-day notice rule.

.@DemLMC member @BSextonSmith, who represents downtown, says she knows of many homeless camps. Asks if notices are being coordinated with @louhomeless.

.@BillHollander says the city has tried to give notice unless their is an emergency.

.@BillHollander says no one wants to collect personal items but that city won’t have to do that if it is required to give 21-day notice.

Eric Friedlander, the city’s head of @LouMetroRCS, admitted to @courierjournal that the city moved “too fast” when razing a homeless camp in the Portland neighborhood.

.@LouMetroRCS’s Friedlander did indicate there would be problems with the city collecting and storing homeless people’s items when tearing down a camp, e.g. bed bugs.

.@DemLMC member Jessica Green says homeless have few rights on how to report if the city violates the ordinance. Suggests remedy be reporting a grievance to @louhomeless.

Green asks what would justify an emergency razing of a homeless camp.

@BillHollander says a potential health issue, such as “severe diseases” that would fall to @LouMetroHealth.

.@LMCRep member @CouncilmanPeden refers to “small towns” that are popping up, and asks how many homeless have to be there to be considered a camp?

Hollander says no number is considered when city considers what is a camp or not.

“These camps are unhealthy no matter what,” @DemLMC member @vwelch13 says. Adds many homeless are living behind businesses and in forests. “It’s a whole county problem,” she says.

.@BillHollander telling @CMBrandonCoan that everything homeless people owned at the Portland neighborhood camp went to the landfill.

“I don’t know what happens when pets are found at a location,” @BillHollander says.

One can assume @LouMetroAnimals takes them?

The Public Safety Committee votes to table @BillHollander’s homeless camp ordinance for further discussion.

.@LMPD Chief Steve Conrad is now up...

Conrad says he will call on members of his command staff as needed. Tells council members as of today there are “many signs of improvement."

Through October, Conrad says, violent crime was down 2.25%. Property crime down about 5%. #Louisville

Conrad says every crime category is down besides aggravated assaults. “Arrests are up 4.3%, citations are up over 10%,” he says. #Louisville

Conrad says @LMPD has taken 1,745 guns off the streets. He says homicides are still a problem but we have 101 this year versus 110 this time last year.

86% of the murder victims are men, 71% are black and median age is 26 versus median age 29 last year, Conrad says. #Louisville

Conrad stressing that young people are more involved in violent crime. He talks up the @SafeHealthyLou partnership and with faith groups.

As of Monday, #Louisville saw 354 shooting versus 434 shootings on the same date last year. @LMPDChief Conrad says that represents a 18.4% reduction.

“Our deployment of overtime is having an impact in our more violent neighborhoods,” Conrad says. “Our men and women are working very hard to make #Louisville a safer city."

Drugs is the fuel that feeds crime, Conrad says. But he says his plan is working and they’re focusing on the right people doing the wrong things. #Louisville

“We have a comprehensive plan, and it is working,” Conrad says.

.@DemLMC Jessica Green asks about @shotspotter. @LMPD Maj. Josh Judah says it has broadly been a success.

Judah says @shotspotter has found 1,294 incidents of gunfire in the city, which show 3,854 individuals gunshots being fired. He says 34 guns are confiscated as a result. #Louisville

Judah says @shotspotter has resulted in 15 arrests, including one homicide arrest. #Louisville

Judah says @shotspotter has beaten 9-1-1 calls by several minutes in many cases. And that the vast majority of the gunshot detections weren’t reported.

.@LMPD Maj. Judah says 88% of @shotspotter weren’t connected to a 9-1-1 call for service. It uses six square miles, and he hopes it’ll be expanded to nine square miles. “It’s been a sound investment,” he says.

FLASHBACK: @DemLMC Jessica Green + @LMCRep pushed for the city to adopt @shotspotter cjky.it/2jklKav

Conrad says what hurts @LMPD morale the most are decisions coming out of court. Rips people being put on home incarceration when facing murder or violent charges.

Conrad says comparing the last five months of 2016 versus 2017, arrests are up 9%, citations up 24% and self-initiated activity is up 21%. “People have kicked it into high gear,” he says.

.@DemLMC leader @BillHollander asks about task force @DemLMC has with federal officials… Conrad turns it over to 9th Mobile Division commander.

.@LMPD Lt. William Hibbs says he has signed a federal rule that he cannot discuss Victory Park Crip arrests that were made recently: cjky.it/2jlo0OI

“This is an example of our chief listening to us,” Hibbs says. “We have not spiked the ball… there is more to come."

.@CWAngelaLeet, who is running for #LouMayor heavily on the city’s rising violence, asks if officers have quotas for self-initiation. Conrad says there are none.

.@CWAngelaLeet asks if crime data Conrad is sharing will be available to the public. The chief says it is on @LMPD’s webpage except for self-initiation.

When you look at @LMPD’s webpage it shows homicides are way up in the most violent divisions.

Up 23% in #LouWestEnd’s 2nd Division, for example.

In the 1st Division, which represents downtown and adjacent areas, murder is up 12%.

In the 6th Division, for example, murder is up by 50%.

If you live in those areas, there violent crime is not necessarily down. The 2nd Division (#LouWestEnd) sees a 2.8% increase in violent crime, for example.

.@DemLMC Cheri Bryant Hamilton asks about overtime deployment in those hot spot areas. Conrad says that OT funding was used mostly in six neighborhoods.

Maj. Eric Johnson tells @DemLMC Hamilton that they have been successful using OT. Listing decrease in crime in certain areas.

Conrad seems to have learned from @louisvillemayor when doing Q&A. Rather than taking all the questions, he is using other commanders to answer specific department questions.

“There is a direct correlation between aggressive police work and these reductions,” Maj. Johnson says.

A lot of the numbers @LMPD officials are sharing with Metro Council now aren’t reflected on their crime stat page: bit.ly/2jmIA0Y

“There is no maximum hours an officer can work,” Conrad tells @LMCRep Julie Denton.

“While I am not opposed to more officers… we’re working hard to hire that 112, but in the meantime I am having to manage with what I have,” Conrad says.

Conrad says fears over pension reform at the state level have sped up retirements. 98 have left the police department, and he’s talking to @louisvillemayor’s CFO about hiring more officers this fiscal year

Conrad says if all goes as planned they’ll have 1,308 manpower in @LMPD. “We’ve lost great officers to fears over retirement, and nothing has happened yet,” he says.

Conrad says as of Monday, @LMPD has 1,234 officers including 74 recruits, 40 who aren’t finished with field training and others. So 1,122 sworn officers on the streets, he says.

Conrad says they will likely end up 23 officers short of where they had budgeted to be...

Here is the Nov. 2017 demographic breakdown of @LMPD by race and gender. #Louisville

.@LMPD 9th Mobile Divisions say they have confiscated 308 guns from people who were convicted felons. That’s about 51% of the total firearms they have taken off the streets.

Conrad wants tougher sentences for convicted felons caught with a gun the second time. “Several years off the streets,” he says.

Conrad decries how people don’t know the serial number on their guns when they’re stolen. Also calls out how children who accidentally shoot themselves or others.

Conrad says the Ky. legislature needs to allow local governments to create gun laws, specifically around storage and destroying confiscated guns.

.@CMBrandonCoan says he’s astonished that 88% of gunshots weren’t reported to @LMPD but were detected by @shotspotter.

Conrad says dispatch calls are down by about one percent but they get significant calls.

Maj. Andrea Brown says they expanded their Community Services Division, including resources officers who work in @JCPSKY.

Brown touting how police have programs to keep youth out of gangs, and they feel they’ve successfully done so with many.

.@CouncilmanJames asks how many aggravated assaults are the result of gang activity. Conrad says that’s difficult to answer. “That’s not something we’re tracking at this time,” the chief says.

.@LMPD Maj. Todd Kessinger, who oversees major crimes, says there are a small percentage of murders that are “gang motivated” based on his opinion. But that’s subjective and no hard data exists.

Kessinger says merging homicide and shooting cases has been helpful. Says it connects non-fatal shootings leads to clearing homicides.

Kessinger says his concerns are smilier to other about case loads. Remarks how most @LMPD homicide detectives have 30-50 cases a year!

.@CWAngelaLeet goes back to violent crime stats and the 2.25% reduction in violent crime Conrad touted. Asks if drug deals gone bad can be counted as justified homicide. @LMPD officials say in theory, yes.

The Public Safety Committee hearing has adjourned.