Wednesday October 15, 2025
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County Attorney Mike O’Connell is supporting a high-tech approach to curbing habitual drunk drivers with the rollout of Jefferson County’s new Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Program (CAMP).
Under the new initiative, prosecutors in O’Connell’s office will request that all repeat offenders for driving under the influence (DUI) wear alcohol-sensing anklets for varying periods of time to ensure that they aren’t drinking. The anklets, produced by SCRAM Systems, automatically test a subject’s perspiration every 30 minutes for alcohol consumption.
The 24-hour monitoring is designed to help individuals address their alcohol issues and reduce the chances that they will reoffend. The Jefferson County Attorney’s office will also recommend CAMP for certain alcohol-involved domestic violence cases and for first-time DUI offenders with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or greater that also have an additional serious aggravating factor. Aggravators would include multi-vehicle crashes or those that involve bodily injury or death, a driver under the age of 21, or having a minor-age child in the car at the time of arrest.
In addition to keeping roads safer from impaired drivers, O’Connell stressed the focus on rehabilitation with CAMP.
“The use of this alcohol-sensing technology can absolutely save lives,” O’Connell said. “This is an effort to use the accountability of the courts as a path toward sobriety. The longer a person is able to stay sober, the greater the chance that they will not commit a DUI or other alcohol-involved crime.”
Depending on the case, CAMP might be recommended while a defendant is awaiting trial, entered as a condition of a plea agreement, or both. The program could also conceivably cut city costs by allowing certain offenders to avoid jail days if they agree to continuous monitoring and demonstrate that they take their offense—and their alcohol misuse—seriously and are addressing the issue.
Offenders will pay for the monitoring with planning in place to help people who are indigent and cannot afford the costs. Monitoring costs nationwide average $10-12 a day. SCRAM Systems claims that former clients have self-reported spending on average about $14 per day on alcohol prior to wearing the bracelet. The office of the Jefferson County Attorney receives no money from the program.
Jurisdictions across the country have had success using SCRAM technology and continuous alcohol monitoring. York County, Pennsylvania reduced pretrial recidivism for drunk drivers by more than 90 percent. The district attorney in San Diego County, California–using monitoring guidelines similar to what is planned in Louisville–has saved taxpayer dollars by reduced jail overcrowding and seen earlier intervention for alcohol misuse.
Monitoring technology and services will be provided locally by Bluegrass Monitoring, which has monitored more than 9,200 individuals through similar efforts in the region as Ohio Alcohol Monitoring Systems.
Seminars are set for August 14-16 at the Louisville Bar Foundation to educate members of the local legal community, including judges and members of the defense bar, about the program.
CAMP is the latest tactic that O’Connell has promoted that uses the leverage of the court system to have a positive impact on addiction. His office has been instrumental in forming and supporting the Jefferson County’s Drug Treatment and Veterans’ Treatment Courts, and he has supported the use of Casey’s Law in Kentucky, which allows parents, spouses and others to seek the court’s assistance to order their loved one into treatment for drugs or alcohol.
BY THE NUMBERS
- According to Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts, Jefferson County has averaged 4,260 charges of DUI each year since 2011. In 2016, there were 2,383 total DUI charges in Jefferson District Court and more than 22 percent (528) were repeat offenses.
- In 2016, 835 people in Kentucky died as a result of car crashes. The Commonwealth saw more than 4,200 collisions involving alcohol last year, resulting in more than 1,900 injuries and 119 alcohol-involved fatalities.
- On average, a DUI can cost a person $10,000 in attorney fees, fines and court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs etc. Based on 2010 data from NHTSA, impaired driving crashes cost the United States more $44 billion each year.
- SCRAM Systems has monitored nearly 600,000 people with the technology that will be used in Jefferson County, and on any given day, 99.3 percent of individuals are sober and fully compliant with their monitoring.
Louisville has experienced a 4 percent drop in crime overall for the first half of 2017, with declines in all eight LMPD divisions and in every category except homicides, Mayor Greg Fischer and Chief Steve Conrad announced today.
(See Louisville crime data for 2017.)
LMPD data from the first six months of 2017 compared to the same six months of 2016 show:
Violent crime overall is down 5 percent.
- Homicides are up 20 percent
- Rape is down 15 percent
- Robbery is down 14 percent
- Aggravated Assaults are down 0.5 percent
Property Crime is down 3.7 percent
- Burglary is down 1.9 percent
- Larceny is down 4.8 percent
- Motor vehicle theft is down 1.4 percent
“This data is clear – with the exception of homicides, we are headed in the right direction for every category of crime,” Fischer said.
The Mayor said the data shows there were 658 fewer crimes in Louisville for the first half of the year, an overall 4 percent reduction. “That is 658 fewer citizens who were victims in Louisville,” he said.
And the declines are being seen across all eight LMPD patrol divisions:
- First Division (Downtown area, Portland, Russell and Phoenix Hill neighborhoods): Down 10.3 percent.
- Second Division (Shawnee, Chickasaw and Park DuValle neighborhoods): Down 5.5 percent.
- Third Division (Iroquois Park, Pleasure Ridge Park, Valley Station and Fairdale): Down 2.7 percent.
- Fourth Division ( Smoketown, Churchill Downs, the Fairgrounds, South Louisville and Old Louisville): Down 4.2 percent.
- Fifth Division (Highlands, Clifton and Cherokee and Seneca Park areas): Down 7 percent.
- Sixth Division (Audubon Park, Newburg, Norfolk, the airport and GE): Down 2.3 percent.
- Seventh Division (Okolona, Fern Creek, Ford plant and the Jefferson Mall): Down 0.13 percent.
- Eighth Division (Middletown, Lyndon, Oxmoor and the Ford Truck Plant): Down 0.07 percent.
Chief Conrad credited the entire LMPD team, from the command staff to the patrol officers, for work that is making a difference in the city.
“The entire force at LMPD is here to protect and serve the citizens, and I’m proud that we are having an impact,” Conrad said. “We will continue to work our plan, with a key focus on reducing homicides and getting the crime-fighting resources to the neighborhoods that need them most.”
Fischer and Conrad both cautioned that, although the six months of data shows positive signs, there is still tremendous work ahead to make Louisville one of America’s safest large cities. “But we are committed to making that happen,” Fischer said.
With a heat index forecast to be between 100 and 105 Thursday and Friday, Louisville Metro Government officials are urging residents to stay cool, stay hydrated and stay informed.
Extremely high or unusually hot temperatures can affect your health. Most vulnerable are the elderly, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, the homeless or poor, and those with chronic medical conditions.
In these conditions, the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness advises residents to:
Stay cool
- Stay in air-conditioned buildings, including shopping malls, the Louisville Free Public libraries, and Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation’s 13 community centers, where children and teens can also get a meal through Dare to Care.
- Metro Parks announced today that because of the extreme heat, it is reducing pool admission costs by $1 through the end of the season, making admission $1 for children and $2 for adults. Parks also is reviewing the possibility of keeping one pool open past the end of the season, if the extreme heat persists.
- The Coalition for the Homeless coordinates Operation White Flag when the temperature or heat index is 95 or higher. Five shelters – St. Vincent de Paul (1034 S. Jackson St.; Salvation Army Center of Hope (911 S. Brook St.); Jefferson Street Baptist Center (733 E. Jefferson St.); St. John Center (700 E. Muhammad Ali); and Wayside Christian Mission (432 E. Jefferson St.) – allow homeless people to remain inside during White Flag events. Anyone who needs a bed or place to sleep for tonight can also call the bed reservation line at (502) 637-2337, between the hours of 10 a.m. -2 p.m. The beds fill up quickly, so call early.
- Connect with Metro United Way’s 2-1-1 information and referral service to locate an air-conditioned option in your area. Call 2-1-1, visit metrounitedway.org or text your ZIP code to 898211 (TXT211).
- Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.
- Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when it is the hottest part of the day, and avoid direct sunlight.
- Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
- Take cool showers or baths to lower your body temperature.
- Check on at-risk friends, family and neighbors at least twice a day.
Stay hydrated
- Drink from two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.
- Make sure your family, friends and neighbors are drinking enough water.
- Stay informed
- Check your local news for extreme heat warnings and safety tips.
- Keep your friends, family and neighbors aware of weather and heat safety information.
- Remember that even short periods of high temperature can cause serious health problems. Doing too much on a hot day, spending too much time in the sun, or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat related illnesses. Louisville health officials encourage residents to know the symptoms of heat disorders and overexposure to the sun, and be ready to give first aid treatment.
- Watch for warning signs, symptoms for heat-related disorders
Heat Stroke
- Heat Stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body’s temperature rises rapidly and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106 degrees within 10minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. The warning signs of heat stroke may include:
- Extreme body temperature of 103 or higher
- Red, hot, and dry skin with no sweating
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness
- If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:
- Sometimes a victim’s muscles will begin to twitch uncontrollably as a result of heat stroke. If this happens, keep the victim from injuring himself, but do not place any object in his mouth and do not give fluids. If there is vomiting, make sure the airway remains open by turning the victim on his side.
- Seek medical assistance as soon as possible
- Do not give the victim fluids to drink
- If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room and ask further instructions
- Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops below 102
- Cool the victim rapidly using whatever method you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of water or place him in a cool shower or spray him with a garden hose.
- Get the victim to a shady area
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. It is the body’s response to an excessive loss of the water and salt contained in sweat. Those most prone to this are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.
Recognizing Heat Exhaustion
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, paleness, headache, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, fainting, tiredness or weakness. The skin may be cool and moist. The victim’s pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe or if the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim cool off and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
Louisville’s Urban Heat Island contributes to the extreme warm temperatures. Go here to learn more, and share how you are helping to reduce Louisville’s Urban Heat at #cool502.
Photo: Keenan Charitable Trust
William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust announced more than $5 million in new funding over the next three years to improve the life outcomes of young Black men and boys aged 16-25.
The grant will support creation of two civic leadership fellowships for young men in Lexington and Louisville, KY, in partnership with local city leaders and advocates, along with national partners coordinated by Cities United. The fellowships will be directed toward young men impacted by community violence.
“We must work more collaboratively if we are going to make sure all of us can live in communities that are safe, healthy and hopeful,” said Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United. “Investing directly in our youth, their families and the communities they call home is part of our new vision for real public safety—one that lights a path to real hope and opportunity for all. The data and our experience show that real public safety requires investments in prevention and community building, not simply increased law enforcement or incarceration.”
These fellowships will encourage young Black men and boys aged 16-25 to invest in their futures, and offer opportunities for education, jobs and careers combined with leadership development and mentoring support. Young people in the two cities will be selected based on their potential and need.
The fellowships are rooted in the belief that young Black men are assets to our communities and cities. They are creative, resourceful and whole, and if given the right support system and opportunities, they will thrive.
Cities United recently received a planning grant for the fellowship from the James Graham Brown Foundation. The fellowships will be a collaborative initiative, with the cities of Louisville and Lexington partnering with their local workforce, education, criminal justice housing and social service partners to prepare up to 120 young Black men to be the next generation of civic leaders. The fellowships will invest directly in young people to shape their leadership and skill building, while learning directly from their lived experience with broken systems that produce community violence, and applying those learnings across city policies and programs.
“When we invest in young people, we invest in a brighter future for our city. In Lexington we are making significant investments to identify and stamp out root causes of violence. This program, working at the individual level, will expand and support our efforts. Thanks to everyone involved for this unique opportunity,” said Lexington Mayor Jim Gray.
“We believe in our young people and are excited about this opportunity to build on our existing youth and community building efforts through Zones of Hope and the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “We look forward to working with Mayor Gray of Lexington to cultivate community-led efforts to reduce violence and ensure that all citizens, no matter race or ZIP code, have the opportunity to reach their full human potential. We will not succeed unless we all work together, including local and national funders who can direct much-needed resources to our communities.”
Lexington and Louisville were chosen because of the commitment from their mayors and their partnerships with Cities United, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and other local and national organizations focused on creating better outcomes for young Black men and boys, their families and the neighborhoods they call home.
The partners will capture lessons from Lexington and Louisville, to use the fellowships as a model for investing in young leaders in other parts of the nation, where mayors and city leaders are also directing efforts to advance 21st century public safety, provide pathways to opportunity and reduce violence against young Black men and boys.
“We have been locking away and warehousing our most talented young people for far too long,” said Dr. Dorian Burton, William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust Assistant Executive Director. “Young Black men are assets to our communities, and when provided with the right support and resources, they will thrive. Leaders in Lexington and Louisville have created a real opportunity to show how cities can build equitable pathways for success for Black males, and drive systems-level reform in their communities. I am hopeful that other national investors, the private sector and the state will embrace these initiatives and invest additional dollars to scale their work to other cities and states.”
Both Louisville and Lexington will be identifying and resourcing a group of grassroots, “on-the-ground” service providers who have specialized skills and relationships needed to effectively engage these young men of promise.
Other local partners include Louisville Urban League, Metro United Way, New Legacy Reentry, KentuckianaWorks, Legal Aid Society, Simmons College, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, Jefferson Community & Technical College, Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board, Fayette County Public Schools, Fayette Circuit and District Court, Urban League of Lexington – Fayette County and Lexington Leadership Foundation. National partners include #Cut50, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Cities United, JustLeadership USA, Essie Justice Group and BMe Community.
Mayor Greg Fischer has named Sarah S. Moyer M.D., M.P.H., the new Director of the Department of Public Health and Wellness.
“I am confident that as our Chief Health Strategist, Dr. Moyer will provide strong leadership to help realize one of the primary goals of my administration – to make Louisville a much healthier place,” the Mayor said. “Already, she has spearheaded the expansion of Louisville’s Smoke-Free Ordinance to include electronic cigarettes and hookah products, the establishment of Kentucky’s first Syringe Exchange Program, and the national accreditation of the department.”
Dr. Moyer joined the Department of Public Health and Wellness in January 2015 as Medical Director. She also served as the department’s interim health director from January 2015 – April 2016 following the departure of Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt to assume directorship of the Washington D.C. Department of Health.
As medical director, Dr. Moyer, a board certified family physician, oversaw clinic operations. As the city’s Chief Health Strategist, she works with all sectors of the community to affect policy, systems and environmental changes to make Louisville and its citizens healthier. She currently serves as co-chair of the Louisville Health Advisory Board, a group of leaders from government, business, educational, civic and nonprofit organizations who are working to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of Louisville residents with the goal of increasing the number of healthy days – quality of life – by 20 percent by 2020 and beyond.
“I’m honored by the confidence Mayor Fischer has shown in me by naming me the Director of the Department of Public Health and Wellness,” said Dr. Moyer. “I look forward to working with the fine staff of the department and with all of our community partners to improve the health of our city.”
As Louisville’s Director of Health, Dr. Moyer will also hold an appointment on the faculty of the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS).
“Although all schools of public health seek relationships with local and state health departments, the longstanding partnership between LMPHW and SPHIS is unique,” said the school’s dean, Craig Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H. “Dr. Moyer is a true joint-appointed faculty member in the school, not an honorary adjunct, which is often the case in other communities. We are truly excited that she is taking on the role of health director and look forward to a growing collaborative relationship.”
Dr. Moyer succeeds Dr. Joanne Schulte, who became Louisville’s Director of Health in April, 2016. Dr. Schulte did not renew her contract and returned to the Houston area.
Dr. Moyer earned a Doctor of Medicine from the Temple University School of Medicine In Philadelphia. There she formed Temple’s Emergency Action Corps and worked in sub-acute disaster areas throughout Central and South America after such first-responder agencies as the Red Cross had left. She served in Honduras, El Salvador and Bolivia in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Dr. Moyer completed her Family Medicine Residency at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. In 2012 she was named “Outstanding Resident” by the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians. Before entering medical school, Dr. Moyer earned a Master’s in Public Health with honors from Dartmouth. She earned her undergraduate degree from Colorado College, where she majored in physics.
Dr. Moyer is married to Dr. Jed Moyer, a pediatric orthopedic physician with Norton Healthcare. They have three sons — twin three-year-olds and a one-year-old.
Over 10,000 street rods, customs, muscle cars and street machines will be on hand at the Kentucky Expo Center this summer as the National Street Rod Association® presents its 48th Annual Street Rod Nationals. The dates for the city’s largest vintage car show will be August 3, 4, 5, 6, 2017. This will be the 24th time the NSRA Street Rod Nationals has been held in Louisville and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Kentucky Expo Center will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house over 350 manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that is of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Kentucky Expo Center and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Kentucky Expo Center and is open to the public August 3, 4, 5, 6, 2017. Make your plans now to attend the 48th Annual Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it. Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
Visit us online @ http://www.nsra-usa.com
Photo: LMPD
Speaking to hundreds of community and civic leaders during an I Am Ali Festival event this evening, Mayor Fischer outlined the many factors contributing to a recent spike in homicides in Louisville and the nation’s other largest cities — including gangs, drugs and an unprecedented number of guns on the streets.
Intertwining data, graphics, photos and videos of people ranging from former Mayor Charles Farnsley to Muhammad Ali, the Mayor discussed the contributors to crime, including racial disparities that create concentrated poverty, which in turn creates despair.
(Read Mayor Fischer’s remarks)
And he outlined the city’s comprehensive violence prevention strategy, which has been reviewed and endorsed by national experts and keys on six pillars:
- enforcement
- intervention
- prevention
- community mobilization
- organizational change, and
- re-entry.
The Mayor began by saying that in visits throughout the city, he hears people celebrating Louisville’s strong economic development position, but expressing concerns about the spike in homicides. People usually ask one of three questions, he said:
- “What is happening with homicides in our city?”
- “What are you doing about it?”
- And the question that ties in most directly with the spirit and legacy of Muhammad Ali: “What can I do?”
What is happening?
Noting that violent crime and homicides are on the rise in roughly 60 percent of America’s largest cities, the Mayor said, “Like cities all over the country, we are trying to identify why homicides are up and how we can reduce them.”
And he pointed to several key factors, including gangs involved in the illegal drug trade.
“The rise in homicides coincides with a significant shift in the illegal drug economy,” he said. “Closing down the pill mills made opioids more expensive. That fueled the heroin market. And when competitors in this economy have disputes over territory or market share, they don’t sue each other. They use violence that often ends with one or more of those involved dead, in the hospital, or in jail.”
Combine that with an unprecedented number of guns on the streets, he said, and we’re seeing too many people “turn to guns to settle personal disputes, some of which get started or get worse on social media.”
The Mayor also outlined the racial disparities, historic and current, that have contributed to the spike in violence.
“For our city to reach its full potential, we have to look at our history, with open eyes and focused minds to create a more constructive way forward – for everyone,” he said.
What are you doing about it?
The Mayor detailed the city’s violence prevention strategy, which includes providing LMPD with the support it needs to get the most violent criminals off the streets.
He said the city is investing in hiring additional 55 new LMPD positions in the last year, bringing the police force to an all-time high in terms of manpower, with just under 1,300 officers. LMPD is participating is federal task force with agencies like the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshal, ATF, and U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest and prosecute the most dangerous criminals. And the 9th Mobile Division is focusing on narcotics, gangs and guns.
The Mayor also noted that he continues calling for common-sense gun laws from Frankfort that respect the rights of lawful gun owners while making it harder for criminals – and children – to get their hands on guns.
Beyond law enforcement, the Mayor outlined some of the hundreds of ways that the city, including the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, is working to stop violence before it starts, through the other pillars of intervention, prevention, community mobilization, organizational change and re-entry.
He also cited the challenge that local governments face as state and federal governments reduce their level of support for programs like urban housing, transportation and education, even as the needs grow. And he called on state and federal leaders to “make a national commitment to our communities here at home, where we lose 14 young African-American men and boys every day to violence.”
What can I do?
In the wake of prejudice and pain, Muhammad Ali “found strength, support and community in his faith, and in his sport, where a compassionate police officer, Joe Martin, introduced him to the world of boxing,” the Mayor said.
Noting that, “We have a whole generation of young people in our city, particularly young people of color, searching for that same strength and support and community,” the Mayor urged citizens to Be the One to provide that strength, support and community.
He outlined opportunities for citizens, businesses, faith groups and others to help meet the challenge, one person at a time, and then he closed with a video of highlights from Ali Week that he said showed “the spirit of Ali.”
“Let’s capture that spirit. Let’s nurture it in all our children. Ali’s story is far from over. And ours is just beginning,” he said. “Let’s a write a new chapter in the history of Louisville. One where everyone in every neighborhood has an open path to greatness.
Please join us. Be the One.”