Friday December 5, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
The Public Safety Committee of the Louisville Metro Council will hear a presentation that led to a Resolution requesting the Kentucky Attorney General to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate Former Louisville Police Department Officer Mark Handy.
“I believe it is important for the Committee to have a better understanding of this situation and we do not take the purpose of this Resolution lightly,” says Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-1), who chairs the Committee. “The public needs to have confidence in those who protect us and after this presentation we will decide what should be done regarding this request.”
The Committee will hear from Denny Butler, Louisville Police Detective, Retired and Mr. Edwin Chandler, the man wrongfully convicted for a crime he didn’t committee who was later exonerated.
Media reports in the last several weeks have indicated Handy was at the center of several homicide cases which resulted in convictions overturned.
To see the Resolution on line: Click Here!
The Public Safety Committee meets at 3:30pm in Council Chambers, Historic City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street.The meeting is carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99. All meetings of the Metro Council are streamed live. Go to the Metro Council Home page at www.Louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil and click on the Metro Council Agendas link.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
In an effort to stem a recent rash of violent crime in the district, Councilman Vitalis Lanshima is hosting a Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Town Hall Meeting on Monday February 12th at the Beechmont Community Center.
“There is a noticeable rise in crime in our neighborhoods, especially violent and drug related crimes. To successfully eradicate crime and create a community where all residents feel safe and proud to raise our families, we must employ a well-rounded approach that balances law enforcement with social programs, and community engagement,” says the Councilman.
This Town Hall Meeting will feature the 3rd Division Commander, Major Joshua Hasch and 4th Division Commander, Major Joshua Judah of Louisville Metro Police and the Director of the Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhood, Rashaad Abdur-Rahman.
The meeting will focus on the importance of block watch programs to work with LMPD and residents to fight crime. Information will be shared on how to create a block watch.
The Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Town Hall is set for the Beechmont Community Center, 205 West Wellington Avenue from 6:30pm to 8:00pm on February 12th.
“This Town Hall will provide an opportunity to discuss what WE all must do to create a safer community,” says Lanshima. “We will leave with an action plan by working together.”
For more information about the District 21 Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Town Hall, contact Councilman Lanshima’s office at 502-574-1121.
Domestic violence victims at the greatest risk of lethal assault will continue to have an outlet for help, thanks to Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell and $152,450 in federal grant money.
This is the second year Jefferson County has received increased funds from the national Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) after years of receiving approximately $50,000 annually. Previous funds paid for one victim advocate position and support services. O’Connell pushed for last year’s three-fold increase and hired two new positions with the additional funds, including one victim advocate whose sole focus is victims at a high risk of lethality.
“This second straight award of increased funding demonstrates the expertise and support we provide to victims of domestic violence,” said Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell. “The continuation of these additional federal dollars cements my office’s commitment to domestic violence victims at the greatest risk of deadly abuse,” said Jefferson County Mike O’Connell.
The victim advocates work out of the Domestic Violence Intake Center (DVIC) at the Hall of Justice. Opened in April 2001, the DVIC was the result of local criminal justice and community partners’ commitment to supporting victims seeking legal action. Founding partners included the Jefferson County Attorney’s office, the office of the Circuit Court Clerk (OCCC), LMPD, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, the Center for Women and Families and the National Council for Jewish Women, among others.
In 2009, O’Connell’s first full year in office, the DVIC was relocated to an expanded space of approximately 2,500 square feet. Prior to expansion, only victims seeking both an emergency protective order (EPO) and criminal complaint received services in the DVIC. After expansion, EPO clerks from the OCCC moved all functions permanently to the DVIC.
Now, all domestic violence victims seeking any type of offered legal service are directly assisted in the DVIC. The Jefferson County Attorney’s office provides victim advocates to meet with all victims 96 hours each week, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. each week day and 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on weekends. Combining all services in one centralized location has resulted in significant increases in clients obtaining needed advocacy services.
O’Connell operates two specialty units for criminal prosecution: domestic violence and DUI. Since 2014, the DV unit has prosecuted nearly 12,000 domestic violence and sexual assault cases, earning a 90.7 percent conviction rate. Nearly 40 members of O’Connell’s staff are involved with domestic violence cases on a daily basis.
The Center for Women and Families honored O’Connell with its Public Service Award last October. O’Connell joined a list of notable recipients of the award, including Jerry Abramson, David Armstrong, Judi Patton, Anne Northrup and John Yarmuth, that was first given in 1991.
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Chief Steve Conrad appeared before the Louisville Metro Council Public Safety Committee last week to update the work his officers are doing to combat crime in Louisville.
Though there are still a few more weeks in 2017, the Chief said his team is encouraged by decreases in most crime reporting categories for the year, which indicate that department strategies are having an impact.
Chief Conrad highlighted data that all police departments provide the FBI for the Uniform Crime Report, which shows decreases in most crime categories in Louisville through October, the most recent month available.
“The numbers I am reporting today speak to a strategy that is working,” the Chief said. “I share these numbers as an indicator of progress, as well as recognition that there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Through October, overall violent crime was down 2.25 percent; compared to being up 9.8 percent at this time last year. Property crime was down 5.37 percent, compared with it being up more than 6.4 percent last year. And total crime was down nearly 5 percent, when it was up 6.9 percent through October 2016.
Despite that progress, the Chief acknowledged “we continue to have a disturbing number of homicides,” which “is a serious issue and continues to be a concern for me and all the men and women of LMPD, as it is for the larger community.”
To date, there have been 101 homicides in Louisville Metro. While that is down 8 percent from the 110 at this time last year, the Chief said, even one life lost is too many, and there is still much work to do – and much work being done.
He outlined several crime-fighting strategies that are having an impact:
- A reorganization of the Narcotics Unit has resulted in felony arrests up more than 46 percent; search warrants up 216 percent; the amount of heroin seized up 99 percent; and the number of firearms seized up 192 percent.
- The LMIntel task force, which is a joint effort of LMPD and several federal partners, has made dozens of felony arrests, seized several firearms and recently announced a 40-count federal indictment aimed at members of a violent gang.
- The 9th Mobile Division continues to target high crime areas and specific people involved in violent crime. To date, the division is responsible for 849 felony charges and has seized 604 guns in 2017. Of the guns seized by 9th Mobile officers, 51 percent were taken from convicted felons.
- The Real Time Crime Center’s impact is growing as it provides valuable intelligence to investigations throughout the metro area.
- ShotSpotter, technology used to detect gunfire in certain areas, is helping to get officers to scenes quicker, often before a 911 call can be made.
In his comments about those efforts and others, Chief Conrad praised the hardworking men and women of LMPD, saying they “are working very, very hard to make Louisville a safer city.”
“I am extremely proud of this department and the efforts we’ve seen this year,” he said, adding that his team is committed to continuing to work with other Metro agencies, Metro Council and community partners to further reduce crime.
Photo: DFI Logo
The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) announced that it has entered a Final Order to stop fraudulent activity by an investment adviser representative and his firm. The respondents have been ordered to pay more than $830,000 in restitution and $575,000 in fines.
DFI stated that Louisville investment adviser representative Derek Burcham and his firm, Cornerstone Benefit Advisors LLC, operating under the name Cornerstone Wealth Advisors, took fees from investors that had not been earned.
In some instances, the fees greatly exceeded what was contractually allowed. While investor contracts stated that fees were to be no more than 1 percent of assets under management, investors paid much more – in one case more than 32 percent. Burcham manipulated and fabricated some statements so that investors did not realize what they were being charged.
“These investors were misled by their adviser and weren’t receiving accurate statements,” said DFI Commissioner Charles Vice. “DFI’s Division of Securities works diligently to stop fraud against investors, and I recommend that consumers contact the division if fraud is suspected. It is also important for investors to regularly review statements and verify them for accuracy.”
The Final Order, entered by DFI, revokes the registrations of both Burcham and Cornerstone and also orders both to cease and desist from engaging in the securities business in Kentucky.
A separate Final Order, entered in Franklin Circuit Court, enjoined both Burcham and Cornerstone from: acting as an investment adviser or investment adviser representative, violating the Securities Act of Kentucky, and dissipating any investor money or assets acquired with investor money. The circuit court ordered restitution and disgorgement in equal amounts, noting that the investor money, in the form of unearned fees, flowed through Burcham’s business bank accounts and represents ill-gotten gains. Burcham used the unearned fees for personal expenses.
Kentuckians looking to make extra money in time for the Christmas season need to watch out for seasonal employment scams, according to Attorney General Andy Beshear.
Beshear said his office issued a scam alert after receiving multiple reports from Kentuckians who said they responded to a seasonal mystery shopper job advertisement that turned out to be a scam. A resident in Scott County reported losing $2,000 to the scam this week.
While there are reputable companies that do hire mystery shoppers Beshear’s Office of Senior Protection recommends avoiding any ad, email or website that requires an advance payment to gain access to information on how to become a mystery shopper.
“Legitimate companies do not require you to make an advance payment to obtain employment as a mystery shopper,” Beshear said. “Kentuckians must always remain vigilant about scams, especially job scams during the Christmas season when con artists are looking to take advantage of hard working Kentuckians.”
Beshear recommends that Kentuckians research and verify all job listings and cautions job seekers to watch for these red flags often associated with a variety of employment scams:
- Asked to wire money.
If your first task requires you to use your personal bank account to cash a check, withdraw cash and complete a wire transfer you are most likely being scammed. - Sounds too good to be true.
Watch for job postings that promise a high salary to work from home and require little experience. Also, be suspicious if you receive a job offer without completing an in-person or telephone interview. - Immediately asked to provide personal or financial information.
Job seekers are often asked to provide Social Security numbers and other personal and financial information as part of the hiring process. Take extra time to verify a company and application before providing sensitive data.
One of Beshear’s top priorities is to protect Kentucky families, especially senior citizens, from scams, abuse and exploitation. To sign up to receive Scam Alerts text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.
To report a scam contact the Office of Attorney General at 888-432-9257 and file a complaint online.
For the second year, the Kentucky Department of Revenue (DOR) is collaborating with the Internal Revenue Service, other state tax agencies, and the tax industry in bringing awareness to National Tax Security Awareness Week to encourage both individual and business taxpayers to take additional steps to protect their tax data and identities in advance of the 2018 filing season.
Starting Monday, Nov. 27, National Tax Security Awareness Week will focus daily on one issue that poses a threat to individuals and businesses and offer steps they may take to better protect themselves from cybercriminals.
Federal and state agencies, partners in the Security Summit, have enacted a series of defenses in recent years that have made significant inroads into tax-related identity theft. While Summit partners continue to improve defenses, they also recognize that they need help from taxpayers, tax preparers and businesses to continue progress against identity theft.
“We feel this awareness campaign is extremely important and hope all Kentucky taxpayers will follow the suggested security measures to ensure their important documents remain protected from potential fraudsters,” said Daniel Bork, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Revenue.
Summit partners and other consumer, business and community groups will be hosting a series of events across the country to raise awareness during National Tax Security Awareness Week. This is especially timely as the holiday season brings out not only online shoppers but online thieves seeking to trick people into disclosing sensitive information that could be used to help file fraudulent tax returns.
The week also comes amid continuing disclosures that more than 145 million Americans have had their names, addresses and Social Security numbers stolen from a variety of places. No one yet knows how cybercriminals will use this data or try to monetize it.
The IRS and states have put many new defenses in place to help protect taxpayers from identity theft. The new IRS protections have worked well with some key indicators of identity theft on tax returns having dropped by nearly two-thirds since 2015.
These protections are especially helpful if criminals only have names, addresses and SSNs – which was the information stolen in recent incidents. However, there are continuing concerns that cybercriminals will try to build on this basic information by trying to obtain more specific financial details from taxpayers and tax professionals to help them file fraudulent tax returns.
During the upcoming 2018 filing season, the IRS urges tax professionals, businesses and others to join with the Security Summit partners in sharing the security information through organizations, customers and partners.
During National Tax Security Awareness Week, people will learn about the basic steps necessary to protect themselves and their tax data online, such as using security software, strong passwords and data encryption. They will learn what steps they should take if they are a data breach victim, such as placing a freeze on their credit accounts and the signs of tax-related identity theft.
They will learn how cybercriminals use phishing emails to bait them into disclosing information. Employers will be warned about the dangerous W-2 Scam that has made identity theft victims of thousands of employees. Finally, Summit partners will remind small businesses that they too are subject to identity theft and should take steps to protect themselves.
There are three key steps Summit partners urge people to take to protect their tax and financial information:
Learn to recognize and avoid phishing emails, threatening phone calls and texts from thieves posing as legitimate organizations such as your bank, credit card company and government organizations, including the IRS. Do not click on links or download attachments from unknown or suspicious emails.
Always use security software with firewall and anti-virus protections. Make sure the security software is always turned on and can automatically update. Encrypt sensitive files such as tax records you store on your computer. Use strong passwords.
Protect your personal data. Use strong unique passwords for each online account. Don’t routinely carry your Social Security card, and make sure your tax records are secure. Treat your personal information like you do your cash; don’t leave it lying around.
The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry came together in 2015 to join forces in their fight against tax-related identity theft. Learn more about their efforts and their progress at Security Summit on IRS.gov.
Increasing public awareness about people’s role in protecting their own data is a critical part of the Security Summit efforts. Partners launched the “Taxes. Security. Together” awareness campaign in the fall of 2015.
The partners followed up with “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” campaign aimed at tax professionals. Partners also held a 10-week “Don’t Take the Bait” awareness effort, warning tax professionals of the most common data breach scams targeting their offices and taxpayer data.
