The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday announced a court-enforceable agreement with the city of Louisville, Kentucky, following a sweeping investigation into the Louisville Metro Government. The investigation was prompted by the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor and a 2023 DOJ report detailing a pattern of racial discrimination by the police force.

The agreement, known as a consent decree, outlined a series of mandatory reforms aimed at addressing systemic violations of constitutional rights and restoring public trust in law enforcement. The consent decree requires Louisville to implement reforms in several areas identified by the DOJ’s investigation, including revising use-of-force policies to emphasize de-escalation and ensuring constitutional compliance, establishing strict oversight for search warrant procedures to prevent unlawful entries, and enhancing accountability through a civilian oversight board to monitor police practices and investigate misconduct thoroughly. Additionally, the agreement mandates anti-bias training for officers and community engagement initiatives to rebuild public trust. The reforms will be overseen by an independent monitor, who will regularly report on Louisville’s compliance to a federal judge.

In a press release announcing the agreement, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated:

This agreement addresses the serious violations of federal law that we uncovered during our pattern or practice investigation and puts the city of Louisville and its police department on a path to lasting reform. We are committed to honoring Breonna Taylor through our work to implement the agreement and to make Louisville a better and safer place for all of its residents.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg welcomed the agreement, stating: “This agreement reflects [Louisville’s] commitment to action and sets us up on a path to keep making rapid improvements and be in full compliance in five years or less, half the time that other cities have taken.” Civil rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, have similarly hailed the consent decree as a necessary step toward justice, though expressing concerns about its implementation.

The DOJ launched its investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) in 2021 after Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot during a botched police raid at her home. The DOJ found widespread patterns of unlawful conduct by the LMPD, including excessive use of force, racial discrimination, and unconstitutional searches and seizures. Former LMPD Detective Kelly Goodlett pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy charges related to the falsification of the search warrant used in Taylor’s case, marking a significant development in the federal investigation.

The consent decree reflects a broader trend of federal intervention in local law enforcement. The DOJ recently launched investigations and agreements in other cities, including Mississippi and Phoenix, following high-profile police killings. In May 2022, an executive order by President Joe Biden established national policing standards in response to Congress’s failure to pass comprehensive police reform legislation. The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights also reached a resolution with Brown University over civil rights compliance in July.