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Credit: Louisville Metro Police
It is no secret that last year Louisville saw a record number of homicides. It seemed as though a new shooting or a new homicide was being reported every day, sometimes multiple times in one day. According to LMPD, Louisville, saw an increase of just under 50% to 117 homicides (123 for the entire county) during 2016, the highest since 1976 (104 total homicides). The majority of victims were black, accounting for a little more than 60% of the total. The majority of the victims were also male, approximately 79%, and more than half of the victims were between the ages of 18 and 34. LMPD was able to make 58 arrests in the homicide cases and the average suspect is the same as the average victim: a black male between the ages of 18 and 34.
Louisville also saw an increase in the number of shooting incidents, 504 compared to 353 last year. 504 shooting incidents is also the highest that has been recorded in the past five years. Of those 504 shootings, 102 were fatal.
Since gun control has been a hot topic the past year due to the election and a small group of Kentucky Mayors asking for the State Legislature to change state law regarding gun control, many of the other violent crime categories seemed to have been ignored by the local news. Here are some of the crime statistics and how they compare to last year:
- Robbery – 1,873, roughly the same as last year;
- Aggravated Assault – 2,921, up from 2,558;
- Rape – 149, down from 163;
- Property Crime – 29,890, up slightly from 28,055;
- Burglary – 5,884, down slightly from 6,229;
- Larceny – 19,808, up slightly from 18,751;
- Motor Vehicle Theft – 4,198, up from 3,075
According to Mayor Fischer, violent crime is “tragically acute in a few specific neighborhoods.” Looking at the maps by LMPD division, all eight divisions have been affected by homicide and shooting incidents. However, it appears that the majority of the homicides, shooting, and aggravated assaults occurred in the 1st (mainly north of Broadway and between I-264 on the east and west) and 2nd divisions (mainly west end). Taken in total, Louisville saw an overall increase by 9% in all violent crimes and a 46% increase in homicides. This appears to be outpacing the national average. Nationwide data is still pending, but as of June 2016, the country saw an overall increase in violent crime by 5% in general, and a 5% increase in the number of homicides when compared to the first six months of 2015. If the data is limited to only cities that are comparable in size to Louisville, there was a 5% increase in all violent crimes and only a 2% increase in homicides.
After averaging about ten homicides per month last year, Louisville has registered 15 homicides as of February 15, which is about the same as last year. While we are not seeing decrease in number of homicides as of now, hopefully, we will not see another record-breaking year.
By a unanimous vote, The Louisville Metro Council last week approved a resolution of support for any future expansion of the National Basketball Association in Metro Louisville.
“There is every indication the NBA may be ready to move forward with expansion team possibilities in the future and I think it is in our best interest to show that our city would fully support any new effort,” says Councilman Dan Johnson (D-21), the primary sponsor of the Resolution.
The resolution highlights the city’s love of the sport of basketball and points out the city has the facilities to accommodate a new NBA franchise. The resolution says the KFC YUM! Center is one of the best arenas in the country and the NBA would be an enhancement to local businesses and the city’s economy.
Last week, Johnson told the Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee that the recently finalized collective bargaining agreement agreed upon by the NBA and players mentions expansion over 100 times.
“There are many cities that are now beginning to send a message to the NBA that they would be supportive of any future expansion. We should always be prepared to be in the hunt,” said Johnson.
The resolution simply states, “That Metro Louisville would support an NBA/WNBA basketball franchise and the economic development it would bring to our community.”
The resolution passed with bipartisan support.
Mayor Greg Fischer announced a new city partnership with IFTTT, a San Francisco-based web and mobile platform that allows users to transform how they experience and manage their homes and habits.
IFTTT allows users to customize their experience with other services and tools — including Twitter, Google Drive, email digest and Philips Hue light bulbs — without coding.
Starting today, Louisville’s real-time air quality data will be available on IFTTT. Residents will be able to use IFTTT to create their own “Applets” using this data — for example, they could receive a push notification or send a Tweet when the air quality reaches a specific level.
The city plans to provide more feeds of city data to IFTTT soon, allowing residents more options to integrate city data into their daily lives. The IFTTT partnership is part of Louisville Metro’s Smart City efforts, which seek to use technology and information to improve services and increase opportunity for citizens. Louisville Metro’s Office of Civic Innovation is also currently partnering with CNET to explore the interaction of smart homes and Smart Cities.
“Cities are platforms for creating opportunity, and this partnership with IFTTT is another example of how we’re using the open data we collect, and putting it into citizens’ hands in accessible ways,” Mayor Fischer said. “I’m eager to see the clever ways citizens take advantage of this partnership to improve their lives, and the lives of others.”
Grace Simrall, the city’s chief of innovation, said: “We’re focused on bringing data and technology to citizens where they live —making it intuitive, accessible, inclusive and equitable. We’re excited about this partnership because it’s a small step in that direction, and we expect much more to come.”
Linden Tibbets, founder and CEO of IFTTT, said: “IFTTT is thrilled to have the city of Louisville join the platform. We believe that cities harnessing their own data can create countless possibilities for their residents. Louisville is leading the way in this regard. We look forward to partnering over the next months as they add more and more to their service.”
IFTTT is available at http://ifttt.com or in app stores.
The Council on Postsecondary Education elected Sherrill Zimmerman as its new chair and Ben Brandstetter as vice chair Friday.
Zimmerman, of Prospect, chairs both the Council’s Tuition Development Work Group and Committee on Equal Opportunities, and is the past chair of the Strategic Agenda Work Group. She is a retired educator from Jefferson County Public Schools where she served as a teacher, assistant principal and magnet program coordinator.
“It will be an honor and a privilege to serve as chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education,” said Zimmerman. “I look forward to working with our students, campuses, Council members and staff to advance the educational, workforce and economic opportunities for all Kentuckians.”
Brandstetter, of Hebron, joined the Council in September. He is president of Brandstetter Carroll, Inc.
“It is a privilege to serve the Commonwealth in this role. Higher education is one of the most important tools that we have to improve the economy of the state, and I look forward to helping advance this for everyone,” said Brandstetter.
Zimmerman replaces outgoing member Glenn Denton of Paducah, who served two terms on the Council and chaired the Council in 2015 and 2016. Brandstetter replaces Donna Moore of Lexington who remains on the Council.
Zimmerman and Brandstetter will serve in their positions for the next year.
The Council also approved the Tuition Setting Timeline and the Tuition and Mandatory Fee Policy. The timeline calls for the Council to take action on tuition and fee ceilings March 31, followed by action on individual campus tuition and mandatory fee rates at the June 16 meeting.
In other items, the Council:
- Updated the Academic Program Approval Policy, which takes effect July 1.
- Approved a proposed amendment to Kentucky Administrative Regulation 13 KAR 2:110 regarding the approval process for advanced practice doctoral degree programs at the public comprehensive universities.
- Heard the following reports: Student Loan Default and Repayment in Kentucky, Future Skills Report, a proposal from Morehead State University related to tuition, legislative update, Committee on Equal Opportunities and an Executive Committee report. A KDE Report, Council President Report and campus reports were also available.
The Council’s next meeting will be March 30-31 at Northern Kentucky University.
Citing $9 billion in investments – ranging from new libraries in Okolona and the east end, to restoration of Colonial Gardens in the south end, to 23 new hotels in and around downtown – Mayor Greg Fischer focused his seventh annual State of the City address on Louisville as “one rising American city.”
“Our city overall has achieved a level of prosperity unlike anything in recent memory,” he said in remarks made during a Downtown Rotary Club luncheon held at the Baxter Community Center at Beecher Terrace.
But there is work yet to do, he said, noting that, “To take our place alongside great global cities, we have to ensure that prosperity spreads throughout our city.”
(Read Mayor Fischer’s entire speech here)
In his six years in office, the Mayor has rotated the location for the State of City address throughout the community. This year’s location was a nod to one of Louisville Metro Government’s biggest recent announcements – a $29.5 million federal grant to redevelop the Russell neighborhood, which Mayor Fischer said is “a tremendous and important opportunity” that will have ripple effects throughout the city.
In a speech that centered on economic and job growth throughout Louisville’s many diverse neighborhoods, the Mayor noted that Russell has a proud past and a promising future.
“I can’t think of a better place from which to examine where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going,” he said.
In an overview to open his speech, he said the city has seen:
- Creation of 61,000 new jobs and 2,600 new businesses;
- Our unemployment rate drop from more than 10 percent to 3.5 percent, the lowest in 15 years;
- Our median wage, adjusted for the cost of living, increase every year since 2008. In 2015 alone, more than 10,000 Louisvillians lifted themselves out of poverty, and more than 7,000 Louisville families joined the middle class.
As he took his audience on a virtual tour of the city, the Mayor highlighted the $320 million Omni Louisville Hotel in downtown; new restaurants and businesses in NuLu, Butchertown, Sheppard Square and Portland; and library expansions and construction in south Louisville, St. Matthews and east Jefferson County.
He noted that Louisville has become a top-tier tourist destination, welcoming over 24 million tourist visits a year, largely thanks to Bourbonism, which brings people to the city year-round for restaurant and distillery experiences on our Urban Bourbon trail.
He also highlighted the city’s commitment to affordable housing, as witnessed by a $2.5 million allocation for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund this fiscal year, and $12 million in loans and support from Louisville CARES to develop more affordable units in all corners of our community.
Emphasizing Metro’s focus on jobs and economic development, the Mayor discussed the Global Louisville Action Plan, which lays out strategies to attract, retain and grow our foreign-born population. “A great city must be a global city,” he said. “We need people who can help us think, work, connect and compete globally.”
The Mayor also announced during his speech that:
- He is asking the Metro Council to add hookah and e-cigarettes to the city’s Smoke Free ordinance.
- The Compassionate School Project, which began with three Jefferson County Public Schools in 2015, is expanding to 25 schools next year.
- Metro Government has received a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the Cultural Pass, which provides the city’s children with free access to dozens of our city’s great cultural institutions.
Mayor Fischer closed his remarks by urging Louisville’s residents to take an active part in helping the city succeed.
“The people who have the greatest power to shape the future of Louisville are the people of Louisville,” he said. And, “To make the most of that power, we must face the opportunities and challenges before us together, as one community. Our fates are as connected as our streets and the air we breathe.”
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has been selected by the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) to host the group’s 2017 Northern/Southern Regional Conference.
The conference will be held at the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville from Nov. 5-8 and will bring together regulators, producers, and distributors from 26 states. This year’s meeting will focus on the industry’s top issues and will provide attendees with a forum to collaborate and share best practices.
“The regional NCSLA conference presents our state with a unique opportunity to lead the discussion on the most important topics impacting the alcohol industry,” said ABC Commissioner Christine Trout. “As this year’s hosts, we look forward to welcoming our sister states and showcasing the best of Kentucky.”
NCSLA expects approximately 150 attendees to travel to Louisville for the conference. The four-day meeting will include breakout sessions, guest speakers, and visits to local tourist attractions. Kentucky has been home to NCSLA meetings in the past, hosting annual conferences in both 1950 and 1963.
For more information on the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, visit http://abc.ky.gov.
Justices and judges from across Kentucky recently joined the statewide discussion on the escalating opioid epidemic at the court system’s first-ever summit on this crisis. Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. hosted the Kentucky Opioid Summit for the state’s justices and judges Jan. 25 in Louisville. The summit was attended by 168 Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, Family Court and District Court judges.
“One of the most serious challenges facing Kentucky is the opioid epidemic, which is destroying lives, devastating families and increasing drug-related cases in the courts,” Chief Justice Minton said. “The court system has a significant role to play in meeting the legal demands and human needs of this crisis. I called this summit because we must gain a better understanding of addiction and treatment so we can make informed decisions from the bench and develop a plan to work with other agencies.”
Chief Justice Minton began working on a Kentucky-specific summit after attending the first Regional Judicial Opioid Summit in August 2016. The Supreme Court of Ohio hosted that event for surrounding states heavily affected by the opioid epidemic: Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The regional summit goal was to create a framework to coordinate the efforts of state and federal policymakers to combat the opioid epidemic.
“The opioid epidemic is one of the most serious public health and safety issues facing Kentucky today and judges must know how to handle these drug-related cases appropriately,” Chief Justice Minton said. The Kentucky Opioid Summit covered case law, statutes and Americans with Disabilities Act regulations regarding medication-assisted treatment. It also focused on the science of treating addiction and government’s role in combating the opioid epidemic. Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin and powerful pain relievers, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. Kentucky is one of the top five states in opioid overdose deaths per capita, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medication-assisted treatment involves providing medications to opioid addicts to ease withdrawal systems and reduce cravings. The justices and judges heard about the law, liability and ethics of medication-assisted treatment from attorney Douglas L. McSwain of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs. Dr. Joshua Lee of the New York University of Medicine provided a session on the neuroscience of medication-assisted treatment.
One way the Kentucky court system addresses substance use disorder is through Kentucky Drug Court. Drug Court programs in 16 counties are now using medication-assisted treatment to help some participants with opioid addiction.
Justices and judges participated in two panel presentations as part of the event. In a panel session on opioid use disorder and the criminal justice system, discussions were about criminal justice and legislative efforts to address the epidemic, the science of treating someone with an opioid use disorder, the history of the opioid epidemic and current crime trends related to opioid use. Panelists were Chief Justice Minton, Secretary John Tilley of the state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Executive Director Van Ingram of the state Office of Drug Control Policy, Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad, and Dr. Michelle R. Lofwall, a medical doctor who is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science with the University of Kentucky’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research.
The second panel focused on state government’s role in dealing with the growing opioid problem. The session included a presentation on the state’s comprehensive plan to reduce overdose-related deaths by Adam M. Meier, Gov. Matt Bevin’s deputy chief of staff and health policy advisor. Panelists also covered the scope of the epidemic, the impact on children and families, evidence-based treatment, and KASPER’s part in addressing prescription drug use disorder. KASPER is Kentucky’s prescription drug monitoring program.
The panel also discussed strategies for reducing the issues resulting from opioid use, such as offering syringe exchange programs and Naloxone, which is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent opioid overdose. In addition to Meier, panelists were Deputy Secretary and former judge Timothy Feeley of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Commissioner Dr. Hiram C. Polk of the Department of Public Health, KASPER program manager David R. Hopkins and Dr. Allen J. Brenzel, medical director for the state Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.
The Division of Judicial Branch Education at the Administrative Office of the Courts provided the summit.
