Public Safety Committee

601 W. Jefferson Street Louisville Metro Government Louisville, KY 40202 Action Summary - Final Public Safety Committee Chair Person Jessica Green (D-1) Vice Chair James Peden (R-23) Committee Member Barbara Shanklin (D-2) Committee Member Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) Committee Member Mark H. Fox (D-13) Committee Member Marilyn Parker (R-18) Committee Member Madonna Flood (D-24) Wednesday, February 26, 2020 3:30 PM Council Chambers Call to Order Chair Person Green called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m Roll Call Chair Person Green introduced the committee members and non-committee members present. A quorum was established. Present: 6- Chair Person Jessica Green (D-1), Vice Chair James Peden (R-23), Committee Member Barbara Shanklin (D-2), Committee Member Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4), Committee Member Mark H. Fox (D-13), and Committee Member Madonna Flood (D-24) Absent: 1- Committee Member Marilyn Parker (R-18) Non-Committee Member(s) Council Member Brandon Coan (D-8), Council Member Kevin Triplett (D-15) Clerk(s) Mary Whitlock, Assistant Clerk Louisville Metro Government Page 1 Public Safety Committee Action Summary - Final February 26, 2020 Special Discussion ID 20-0220 Rape and Sexual Assault Cases - Lieutenant Shannon Lauder, Louisville Metro Police Department, Special Victims Unit The following spoke to this item: -Chair Person Green -Lieutenant Shannon Lauder, Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) -Committee Member Fox -Committee Member Sexton Smith -Council Member Triplett -Committee Member Flood The following was discussed: -Lt. Shannon Lauder is the Commander of the Special Victims Unit, which includes the Crimes Against Seniors Unit, the Domestic Violence Unit, and the Sex Crimes Unit. -There are six officers in the Sex Crimes Unit whose caseloads include as many as 30 cases per month. -A recent case in the news brought forth concerns regarding the process the LMPD uses in regards to rape cases and some changes have been made to address those concerns, such as using a new option to close cases called Victim Request Case Closure, creating training for officers who respond to sexual assault, and the Commomwealth Attorney's Office providing notice regarding closing cases in writing. -Statistics were given regarding the number of sex crimes cases per year since 2017, the number of arrests, the number of felony convictions, and the number of cases 'cleared by exception.' -New training for LMPD officers will include a 3-part video and test; a 3-part series in April, October, and December; and a 4- to 8-hour in-service training starting in 2021. -There was discussion about prosecutors choosing to close the sexual assault cases, the reasons why victims often decide not to move forward, and the difficulty with prosecuting these crimes. -LMPD has a backlog of 2200 rape kits that were collected before 2011 and have been sent to a lab for DNA testing; since 2011, all kits were automatically sent off for DNA testing. -LMPD has increased the number of Victim Advocates from two to seven in the last six months and the role of the Victim Advocates as described. -There was a request for information relating to the percentages of sexual assualt victims who knew their perpetrator. -The standards of probable cause versus beyond a reasonable doubt were discussed. -The rape case that was highlighted in recent news has been reopened because the victim has provided additional information for review. -On April 25, 2020, the Victims Services Unit will have an event called National Crime Victims Rights Week. Adjournment Without objection, Chair Person Green adjourned the meeting at 4:35 p.m. Louisville Metro Government Page 2