Louisville and Justice Dept. Reach Deal on Federal Oversight of Police

Politics|Louisville and Justice Dept. Reach Deal on Federal Oversight of Police

The city of Louisville and the Justice Department reached an agreement on Thursday to address misconduct by the local police after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020 brought attention to far-ranging abuses by law enforcement.

The agreement, known as a consent decree, comes after the department’s investigation of Louisville’s police force documented excessive use of force, illegal searches and car stops and widespread discrimination against Black people and those with mental illnesses. The agreement mandates that the police department improve those policies as well as other guidelines, including how it responds to protests and demonstrations.

“Police reform doesn’t happen overnight,” Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general overseeing the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said on Thursday during a news conference in Louisville. “This process will take time, but it will reap dividends down the line.”

The agreement, which must be approved by a judge before it can take effect, is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department under President Biden to address abuses at the hands of the police. Overall, 13 such agreements are in place, two of which were negotiated during Mr. Biden’s time in office.

Typically, these agreements last until the judge has found that the department achieved the established goals. But Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville said the arrangement was intended to limit oversight to five years. In some cases, consent decrees can last for far longer. Baltimore Police Department, for example, continues to operate under a consent decree that began in April 2017.

Mr. Greenberg noted the changes that have already been made since the death of Ms. Taylor, 26, who was fatally shot by the police in March 2020 during a botched raid of her apartment. The police entered unannounced and without a warrant.