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SubscribeLouisville’s strategy for reducing violence in part by focusing on high-crime areas is showing progress, including a 13 percent reduction in aggravated assaults, 16 percent reduction in burglaries and 29 percent drop in robberies in those communities.
Speaking to Metro Council, Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad also cited a 49 percent increase in arrests over the past three months in the neighborhoods where violent crime has been highest, as well as a 50 percent increase in citations issued; and 58 percent increase in self-initiated police activity.
He also noted that police have confiscated 207 guns so far this year — a 38 percent increase over the same period in 2016. Last year, LMPD confiscated 1,778 guns — a 44.7 percent increase over 2015.
While acknowledging there is much work to be done, and the city’s homicide numbers are still troubling, Chief Conrad, Rashaad Abdur-Rahman from the city’s Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, and Yvette Gentry, Chief of Community Building, told the Council today that there is positive movement in both short and long-term violence-prevention strategies.
They focused their presentation on six pillars of the overall strategy: Enforcement, intervention, prevention, community mobilization, organizational change and development, and re-entry. They also addressed Council questions on spending of public safety funds allocated in December, as part of a mid-year budget adjustment.
LMPD: Overtime is helping
Chief Conrad said that since Nov. 1, LMPD’s newly expanded Narcotics Division has made 244 felony arrests and 59 misdemeanor arrests; and executed 169 searches, uncovering 57 pounds of heroin, 40 pounds of cocaine 73 points of meth and 125 guns.
And the additional funding allocated in December so far has covered 13,709 hours of overtime that allowed for increased patrols in the neighborhoods where violent crime has been most pressing — Park Hill, Russell, Shawnee, Shelby Park, Smoketown and Victory Park.
The Chief said he recently revised the increased patrols to be more strategic about when officers are deployed. “We want to be smart about spending these tax dollars, and mindful not to lean so heavily on overtime that we wear out our officers, who are extremely dedicated to this battle,” the Chief said.
Louisville Metro Police has hired 14 additional officers who are in training now and plans to hire 14 more this summer.
Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods: Creating new pathways
Abdur-Rahman and Gentry said OSHN also is using expanded resources to focus on locations where there are more violent crimes involving youth, and efforts to create pathways away from violence through training, support and educational assistance.
They stressed that OSHN’s charge is long-term, focused on identifying and alleviating many of the root causes of violence, including economic and educational challenges as well as historic, systemic barriers to success for people in the neighborhoods most plagued by violent crime.
But they also pointed to indicators of success, including 100 people who found jobs through Zones of Hope, and 158 young people involved in ReImage, which helps stop the cycle of crime and violence by intervening with youth who’ve been charged with a crime or are at high risk of criminal behavior. Of those 158, 78 have gotten jobs, three have gotten a GED, and 17 have either completed a degree or started college.
OSHN represents a holistic approach in coordinating the efforts of many city agencies and partner organizations, ranging from Metro Parks and Recreation to the Louisville Urban League, Peace Education and Neighborhood House. Through those partnerships, OSHN is engaged with such programs as Zones of Hope, No More Red Dots, Pivot to Peace and, most recently Cure Violence, a cutting-edge method to reduce neighborhood violence by using the same health strategies used to fight infectious diseases. Cure Violence experts from Chicago were in Louisville last week for an assessment visit and training.
Funding for Cure Violence ($83,000) was part of a $625,000 allocation set aside for violence reduction efforts in the budget adjustment. Gentry and Abdur-Rahman outlined spending plans for the rest, including $120,000 to boost OSHN staffing from four full-time staffers to seven, as well as funding for Urban League and Peace Education programs, and 143,000 to external partner agencies for other, smaller programs focused on reducing violence.
“Just as there is no one reason for violence, there is no one solution for alleviating it,” Abdur-Rahman said. “Together, we’re investing in our youth, supporting young people who are trying to change their lives. That, in turn, helps all of us build a safe, more vibrant community.”
Louisville’s fourth Financial Empowerment Summit will bring together local and national speakers, community leaders, service providers, and nonprofits and financial institutions eager to help individuals and families improve their financial well-being.
The Summit — presented by Metro United Way and Louisville Metro Community Services — will take place on Thurs. March 9, from 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Bellarmine University, 2001 Newburg Road in the Amelia Brown Frazier Hall. More than 100 attendees are anticipated. They will participate in activities and workshops geared to build on their personal finances so they can better understand and secure their own financial success, and better assist with the financial success of their clients.
Registration can be made through March 3 on-line at http://www.cnpe.org/learnings/a051A00000FcS3kQAF. The $25 registration fee includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch, all workshops, door prizes and giveaways.
The goal of financial empowerment is to help people make informed financial choices and to make progress toward their financial goals. This includes expanding financial literacy and education opportunities so people learn how to reduce debt and manage their budgets, build credit, and plan and save for long-term goals.
Theresa Reno-Weber, President and CEO of Metro United Way, and Eric Friedlander, director of Louisville Metro Community Services will jointly open the day sharing their support for Louisville’s community-wide financial empowerment efforts; and to encourage the strengthening of partnerships to meet the needs of our residents.
“Financial Empowerment is a key part of the work we do in Community Services”, stated Friedlander. “Our staff members continually seek new and innovative ways to help the clients we serve find the long-term path to economic stability. I look forward to the Summit to continue our community’s work together to build strategies that break the cycle of poverty.”
Keynote speakers at the Summit include:
- Kathleen Cooter, Bellarmine University Professor and former Executive Director for the Kentucky Council for Economic Education, will provide an overview about the importance of education achievement in relation to achieving life’s financial outcomes.
- Carl Rist, Director for Children’s Savings and Senior Advisor of Asset Building for CFED will discuss the impact Children’s Savings Accounts have in propelling children, especially low income children, to pursue postsecondary education.
- Lamar Davis, Community Affairs Specialist for FDIC will provide an overview of the FDIC’s commitment to expanding access to safe, secure and affordable banking services to better serve the unbanked and underbanked consumers.
- Alianna Havrilla, Community Coach, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps will explore the intersection of financial stability and health efforts to create healthier communities.
A variety of workshops will be offered at the event including, “Workplace Financial Education”, “Children’s Savings Accounts – A more in-depth exploration from Promise Indiana” and “Money Smart Tools and Resources”.
Also highlighted at the summit are lessons learned from the nearly 114 individuals representing 48 organizations who took part in the 2016 Personal Finance Empowerment Series (PFES). The series aimed to provide social service frontline staff with personal finance workshops to enable them to become more secure in their own financial situation.
The PFES series and the Financial Empowerment Summit are made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through a partnership with United Way Worldwide. Local partners include Louisville Metro Community Services and Metro United Way, with support from Apprisen, Louisville Urban League, Bellarmine University, AARP, the Kentucky Council for Economic Education, Quantum Communications, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions and Fulton180 Coaching, Consulting and Training Projects.
In response to the growing litter problem in Louisville, crews from the Solid Waste Division of Metro Public Works are diverting their efforts from yard waste collection to litter cleanup for a period of two weeks.
Yard waste collection in the Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits) is suspended and will resume on March 13, 2017. During the suspension period, citizens should not put yard waste out for collection. Any yard waste problems should be reported as usual to MetroCall at 311 or 574-5000.
The suspension is possible because it is occurring at a time when yard waste volume is low. This will allow Solid Waste to temporarily direct additional resources to the effort to clear our streets and roads, including interstate highways, of litter in advance of spring.
Once mowing season begins, litter abatement along the interstates in Louisville will be performed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as it is every year. Metro crews will then focus solely on arterial and connector surface roads in the city.
Due to the threat of severe weather tomorrow, the scheduled state-wide tornado drill will be postponed. The storm system moving into the area tomorrow and Wednesday is expected to bring thunderstorms (up to three inches of rain is possible), large hail and strong winds. Due to the cold front moving, tornadoes are also a possibility.
The National Weather Service (NWS-KY) and the Kentucky Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be conducting the tornado drill this Friday, March 3rd at 10:07 AM EST. The test will activate the EAS system – the alerts that are heard on radio and television. You should also expect to hear the outdoor sirens during this time.
Tornado warnings mean that a tornado has already touched ground or it is expected to touch ground very soon. During a tornado, you should move to the basement or another interior room away from windows. If possible, a radio should be tuned to the local news or a weather radio station for updates. For more advice on how to prepare for a tornado or what to do during a tornado, more information can be found on the NWS website.
The Louisville Water Works and Pumping Station and a historic section of downtown Louisville are subjects of three historical markers that the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will dedicate in early March.
A new marker at the Water Tower will recognize the contributions of George Warren Fuller to Louisville’s modern water filtration system. Fuller, now known as “the father of sanitary engineering,” conducted the first scientific testing of water filtration at the site between 1895 and1897. The data he collected led to a three-part system that includes sand and gravel filtration. This system purified Ohio River water so well that when filtering began in 1909, the number of deaths from typhoid fever declined by 60 percent. Fuller’s purification system formed the basis of modern water filtration. The Louisville Water Co., sponsors the marker.
A second marker will be unveiled at the same event to replace one previously at the site. It tells the story of the Louisville Water Co., pumping station and water tower. Both have been National Historic Landmarks since 1971. Friends of the Water Tower sponsor this marker.
The dedication will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 1 at 3005 River Road.
A third new marker tells the history of a section of the Shelby Park neighborhood which C.P. Moorman, a distiller, developed between 1884 and 1885. It includes Italianate residences, Queen Anne row houses and commercial buildings.
The reverse side of the marker pays tribute to Mason Maury (1846-1919), a prominent Louisville architect credited with building the neighborhood. Maury was a Louisville native known for his use of the “Chicago School” design style. He began his career around 1880. By 1902, he had more than 700 buildings to his credit. Among his notable designs are the Kaufman-Straus and the Louisville Trust Building. The Shelby Park Neighborhood Association sponsors the marker.
The dedication will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 4, in the 300 block of St. Catherine St.
More than 2,400 historical markers statewide tell Kentucky’s history. More information about the marker application process and a database of markers and their text is available at history.ky.gov/markers. Also available on the site is the Explore Kentucky History app, a source of supplemental information about marker topics and virtual tours of markers by theme. KHS administers the Kentucky Historical Marker Program in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Solution Tree, an educational publisher and professional development provider, has announced Fern Creek High School as the winner of the second annual DuFour Award.
Named in honor of Dr. Richard DuFour, the award was created to honor high-performing schools that demonstrate exceptional levels of student achievement. In a career that spanned four decades, Dr. DuFour was a teacher, principal, superintendent, and champion of the Professional Learning Communities at Work™ process. His advocacy and tireless dedication to school improvement led to the founding of the DuFour Award in 2016.
Fern Creek High School was recognized during the Summit on PLC at Work™, which took place in Phoenix, Ariz., February 22-24, 2017. During the ceremony, Solution Tree presented the school with a check for $25,000.
“Fern Creek was a finalist for the first annual DuFour Award last year,” said Solution Tree’s CEO, Jeffrey C. Jones. “Through hard work and persistence, they were able to take it to the next level and earn the top honor this year. I’m delighted to honor their commitment to continuous school improvement.”
Fern Creek’s application included an essay and short video detailing the school’s dedication to the professional learning community process, improving student learning, and advancing instructional best practices.
“Fern Creek High School’s turnaround story is grounded in our commitment and fidelity to professional learning communities,” said Principal Nathan Meyer. “The workshops and institutes led by Rick DuFour that we attended when we were first identified as a Priority School in 2010 galvanized us and strengthened our resolve to improve student learning. Rick DuFour publicly recognizing our school’s work during the past year has been an incredible honor for our entire staff. This award becomes a tangible representation of our teachers’ commitment to the three big ideas of a PLC, centered on student learning, professional collaboration, and being results driven.”
DuFour Award Committee chairman Thomas W. Many said, “Along with a litany of impressive statistics, the school has expanded access to more rigorous curriculum, disrupted inequity, and expanded opportunities for college and career readiness all while improving their ranking in the state from the 10th to the 87th percentile in academic achievement.”
Shelter life is not easy for any animal. It takes a toll on them. Imagine yourself cooped-up in a kennel. Staff members and volunteers at Louisville Metro Animal Services do their best to interact and engage with the shelter animals, but it’s not enough. That’s why LMAS Foster Coordinator, Stephanie Jackson, wanted to organize a Yoga Cats event. “The benefits of an event like this are four-fold. It promotes adopting and fostering, raises money for our foster program, and gives our shelter animals a chance to socialize.”
LMAS will release its shelter cats to roam freely as yogis practice. Picture yoga mats, dim lighting, relaxing music and calming scents, with curious kitties thrown into the mix. “We hosted our first Yoga Cats event on February 13th and it was such a success, we decided to host another! Everyone had a smile on their face as they interacted with cats and enjoyed yoga. This is such a unique event that benefits everyone involved.”
LMAS’ next Yoga Cats class is set for Monday, March 13, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at the LMAS Animal House Adoption Center (3516 Newburg Rd.) A $20 donation to benefit the LMAS foster program will grant you a spot in the class. To secure your spot, please send an email to stephanie.jackson@louisvilleky.gov. LMAS has room for 40 yogis. All participants must sign a waiver to interact with cats during the class. Please bring your own yoga mat.
