Police chief’s investigation takes about a month; PGA officials “impressed”

FRANKFORT – Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday he expects the independent investigation into Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jaquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel to be completed in about a month, adding he wants to get it done “as quickly as possible.”

Greenberg made the comments to reporters after he, acting LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey and Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill testified before state lawmakers in Frankfort.

The hearing before the committee was one of Humphrey’s first public appearances since taking over as LMPD chief last week. He was appointed after Police Chief Jaquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel was suspended over concerns about her handling of a sexual harassment complaint.

Greenberg said he wants former FBI agent David Beyer, whom the city has hired to conduct an independent investigation, to “do his job thoroughly.” Greenberg said he does not yet know how much the investigation will cost.

Humphrey is the sixth man in four years to lead the beleaguered LMPD. During the hearing, he told lawmakers he was unhappy with the violent crime situation in Louisville.

“The crime rate, particularly violent crime and gun crime in Louisville, is not even close to acceptable,” Humphrey said, citing several reasons, including a “revolving door” in the criminal justice system, an increase in violent crime among youth and a nationwide mental health crisis.

“There are people living in conditions that none of us would allow an animal to live in,” Humphrey said of the mental health crisis. “We need to take action as a society, as a community, as a city, as a state and as a federal government to address this problem holistically. What we are doing is morally and ethically wrong.”

Greenberg added that the city has provided office space in Louisville to the state’s Attorney General, Russell Coleman, and that he plans to soon announce a partnership between the Attorney General’s office and Jefferson County Attorney Gerina Whethers to prosecute violent crimes.

PGA guide “incredibly impressed”

Greenberg downplayed the arrest of Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top golfer, outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club during the 2024 PGA Championship last month when asked about the incident by Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon.

“They (the PGA executives) left Louisville, I believe, incredibly impressed with our city and incredibly impressed with the new owners of Valhalla,” Greenberg said.

“I am very optimistic that we will have more PGA Championships at Valhalla and that we will have other really impressive and important world-class golf events at Valhalla as well,” Greenberg said.

The charges against Scheffler were eventually dropped.

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This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Mayor Craig Greenberg said PGA officials were “impressed” with Louisville.