Occupy Louisville demonstrators say former Police Chief Robert White has asked them for advice before heading to Denver, Colorado, where demonstrators there have stirred a more contentious occupy movement.
White asked Occupy Louisville to write a letter on what he should expect with Occupy Denver a couple weeks ago, said Louisville demonstrator Pam Newman.
In case you missed them, here are some of the stories we’ve covered today.
Current Chief Robert White has announced he’s leaving Louisville to become chief of the Denver Police Department. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says he’s begun the process of finding candidates to be the next chief of police.
Two workers were killed after they and their truck were trapped under rubble at an Ohio County, Kentucky surface mine. The Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident.
And the Jefferson County Clerk’s office is projecting a larger turnout in Louisville than in the rest of the Commonwealth this Election Day.
Louisville Police Chief Robert White is leaving the city to be chief of police for Denver, Colorado.
Mayor Greg Fischer announced White’s departure on Twitter, and is speaking about the search for a replacement this hour at Metro Hall.
White was appointed by former Mayor Jerry Abramson and was the first chief of the merged city and county police force. Near the end of Abramson’s last term, White was a finalist for jobs in Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. He was passed over for each position.
White’s position took center stage briefly during last year’s mayoral race. Republican Hal Heiner declined to say whether he would retain White—or any other Abramson appointees—during the campaign, saying he didn’t want to make personnel decisions without being in office. Fischer promised to keep White if elected.
White replaces Denver Police Chief Gerald Whitman.
In a statement, Fischer says he will soon name an interim chief, but has begun the process of finding a new chief.
by Gabe Bullard
Louisville Police Chief Robert White’s job status could soon become an issue in the mayor’s race.
Mayor Jerry Abramson hired White in 2003, and the mayor sees White as part of his legacy. But with Abramson leaving office at the end of the year, White has applied for jobs in other cities. He was passed over this week for a job in Atlanta, and now he says he will stay in Louisville at least through the fall election.
Democratic candidate Greg Fischer says, if elected, he will keep White on staff. Abramson supports Fischer in the mayor’s race, and Friday said White could be an asset in the campaign.
“I think he’s very well respected in the community as chief, I think he’s done an outstanding job and I think it’s part of the confidence this community can have in electing Fischer as the next mayor that they’ll also get Chief White as a part of that team,” he says.
Republican candidate Hal Heiner says it’s irresponsible to make personnel decisions during the campaign, and if elected, he will review White’s performance before making any choices.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert White has been passed over for the chief’s job in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports today that the job will go to Interim Chief George Turner, a 28 year veteran of the department.
White was one of three finalists for the job.
His future in Louisville is uncertain since the city is electing a new mayor in November. Current Mayor Jerry Abramson, who hired White in 2003, is not seeking re-election to the office.
White said last month that if he did not get the Atlanta job, he would not actively seek another position until after the election.
It’s been a mixed bag of news this week. We’re still waiting to hear about a new state budget, but Mayor Abramson’s last budget as mayor has been released. There’s going to be a new library in Fairdale and a bigger one in the Shawnee neighborhood. Our Business First colleagues are hot on the case of business news and LEO turns 20. Join us on Friday for our weekly State of the News. Listen to the Show
by Gabe Bullard
The chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department is still a finalist for a job in Texas.
White is one of six finalists for the police chief’s job in Dallas. He visited the city last week and says he hopes to hear from the city manager by the end of the month.
White says if Dallas doesn’t work out, he has other opportunities outside of Louisville.
“Obviously there are other places, which I prefer not to mention at this time, that have certainly expressed an interest in me applying or pursuing it and I’m certainly keeping those options open, but right now I’m focusing on here and Dallas,” he says.
White was appointed by Mayor Jerry Abramson in 2003. The Chief says his decision to look for another job is related to the mayor’s decision to seek the Lieutenant Governor’s post, rather than re-election to a third term as mayor.
Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert White stressed the importance of efficiency in law enforcement in an address to the Metro Council Tuesday. White addressed the council as part of the body’s review of the mayor’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
The budget calls for 34 LMPD employees who are not police officers to be laid off.
Even though the department is set to receive more funds than last year, Chief White says the department will have to become more efficient in its crime fighting efforts. Part of that, he says, involves crime prevention programs.
“Our real success is not how many people we arrest,” he says. “How much crime is prevented is really, I think, the success of any government or any police department. And that requires a collaborative relationship with almost every component in the community.”
There are several police projects in the mayor’s proposed capital projects budget, including new vehicles and communications equipment. Some of those costs may be paid for with federal stimulus funds.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert White says layoffs in his department are unfortunate, but necessary.
The mayor’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for 119 layoffs, 34 of which are in Metro Police.
White says none of the employees scheduled to be let go are officers, though he says some cuts may not have been necessary if the police officer’s union had not challenged the mayor’s decision to impose fees on take-home cars.
“I don’t want to point the finger in one direction – I’ll leave that up to others to make that judgment. But obviously this was about money, this was about the economy, this was about the budget,” he says. “Unfortunately we were not able to do that without impacting some employees.”
A Labor Cabinet officer recently ruled that the city could not collect fees from police officers who use their cars off duty. The decision could cost the city $1.4 million over the next fiscal year. Union leaders contend the fees would violate their labor contract.
The Metro Council has until the end of this month to modify and approve the budget.