Law firms and police reform exports have until early August to submit their bids to be Louisville’s independent police reform monitor.
City officials released a request for proposals Monday afternoon. They’re looking for experts to oversee the implementation of the “Community Commitment” Mayor Craig Greenberg and Police Chief Paul Humphrey signed in May.
The plan includes most of the reforms the city had already agreed to under the proposed federal consent decree. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to back out of that initial reform plan.
In announcing the request for proposals, Greenberg reiterated his commitment to implementing the changes, regardless of what the federal government does.
“I believe accountability is important, which is why even when the U.S. Department of Justice walked away – we still moved forward with our commitment to implementing reform, and I look forward to seeing the diverse applications we receive,” he said in a press release.
The request for proposals, posted to the city’s online procurement platform, outlines what Louisville officials want from a prospective monitor.
The monitoring team will:
- consist of a head monitor and a group of people experienced in evaluating law enforcement policies and actions
- be expected to evaluate the Louisville Metro Police Department’s reform efforts, conducting policy and training reviews, data reviews and compliance assessments.
- conduct semiannual progress reports that will be made available to residents and the Community Safety Commission.
The 22-member Community Safety Commission, announced last month, will include residents and representatives of community groups, government agencies and local prosecutors.
Prospective monitors must submit documents outlining how they plan to do the job, as well as how they intend to meet the maximum budget the city has laid out: $750,000 annually. That budget is half of the maximum budget the city had agreed to as part of the federal consent decree.
Some of the organizations that have downloaded the city’s request for proposals include Jones Day, one of the largest law firms in the U.S.; DLG Consulting, which has participated in the Albuquerque consent decree reforms; and the Texas-based multinational law firm Bracewell, LLP.
The city also took feedback from residents on what they want from the monitor.
A report attached to the request for proposals shows many residents want a team that is above the local political fray with “no ties to Metro Government, LMPD” or the police union. The people who attended public engagement meetings or filled out the city’s online survey also highlighted some of the same core values: community engagement, knowledge of Louisville and LMPD, diverse experiences and perspectives, prior experience and accessibility and communication skills.
“Collectively these account for roughly 70 percent of all “top‑three” preferences, creating what one participant called the “non‑negotiable baseline” for credibility,” the report stated. “In the listening sessions, those same characteristics were repeatedly underscored as prerequisites for “honesty,” “competency,” and the “intellectual fortitude” to withstand outside pressure.”
Louisville’s request for proposals for an independent monitor will be open until Aug. 4. After the application period closes, an evaluation committee will invite shortlisted teams to talk.
Residents will have the opportunity to hear directly from the finalists at public meetings. The dates for the meetings haven’t been selected yet, but the city has asked candidates to provide their availability for the month of August.
