Over the last few years, the U.S. Department of Justice has launched several investigations into Louisville and Kentucky to determine whether residents’ constitutional rights are being violated — from scrutinizing the behaviors of Louisville Metro Police to analyzing the conditions of the state’s youth detention centers.
Some investigations are ongoing, while others have already been released to the public.
Here’s what we know about their statuses:
A practice of racist policing in LMPD
Following the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor, the DOJ launched a wide-reaching investigation into Louisville Metro Government and LMPD.
In March 2023, the department released a scathing 90-page report saying it “has reasonable cause to believe that Louisville Metro and LMPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law. Louisville Metro’s and LMPD’s unlawful practices harm community members and undermine public safety.”