LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2024) – Attorney General Russell Coleman, Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell, Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Chief Paul Humphrey and Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk David L. Nicholson announced a new collaboration among their offices to combat violent crime in Louisville today.
At a press conference, General Coleman announced the establishment of a new Attorney General’s Office location in Louisville, initially staffed by two prosecutors and a detective, to take on violent criminal cases in the Commonwealth’s largest city. The new team will collaborate with Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers’ Office to be assigned and prosecute cases.
“Historically, the Attorney General’s Office has not taken an active role in prosecuting violent crime in Louisville. That changes today,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Public safety in Louisville has rippling effects throughout Kentucky. Through the collaboration with Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers, Mayor Greenberg, and other officials, our prosecutors and investigators will be here fully focused on keeping families in this community safe.”
According to an agreement between the Attorney General and the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the dedicated prosecutors and investigators from the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will handle select cases involving nonfatal shootings, convicted felons in possession of a firearm, Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention Program (GVI) and the Prohibited Firearms Possessor program (PFP). To date, the prosecutors are handling more than 75 cases.
“Protecting the innocent and dispensing justice is paramount for our entire office,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers. “We will continue to collaborate and partner with other agencies that have those same ideas in mind. It’s imperative we’re on the same page. Our new Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General will not only complement our current and continued efforts to handle these types of crimes, but also bring a new element of legal force to the table like never before.”
The Attorney General’s new Violent Crime Reduction team includes Assistant Attorney General in Charge Critt Cunningham, Assistant Attorney General Hammad M. Khan, and Detective Robert Jones. Together, they bring more than 50 years of legal and law enforcement experience. They will work from an office at 514 West Liberty Street, in a space secured by Mayor Greenberg and Circuit Court Clerk Nicholson.
“Improving public safety in Louisville is our administration’s number one priority,” said Mayor Greenberg. “The creation of the Violent Crime Reduction team is a critical step in that work and will help coordinate the efforts of the Attorney General, the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Metro Government, LMPD, the Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk and other partners to help us make Louisville a safer, stronger, and healthier city.”
Last year, Louisville experienced more than 400 nonfatal shootings. The addition of this new team – backed by the full weight of the Attorney General’s Office – has the potential to make a real difference in taking trigger-pullers off the streets.
“This is a unified front of prosecutors, law enforcement and other elected officials, of all political persuasions, working to thwart violent crime in Louisville,” said Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell. “Each of us has our role in the system and we’re each committed to doing our part to making our community safer and stronger.”
“LMPD officers work tirelessly to reduce gun violence and improve the quality of lives of our residents and visitors. We focus on all crime, but reducing shootings is always a priority. It takes strong partnerships to effectively arrest and prosecute the most dangerous individuals preying on our neighborhoods. We are profoundly grateful to Attorney General Coleman, Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers, and Circuit Court Clerk Nicholson for assisting us with providing a safer Louisville for all to enjoy,” said Chief Humphrey.
“My office stands ready continuously to assist the Attorney General, the Mayor, law enforcement and prosecutors. As a public servant, it is my duty to serve this community and to pursue the administration of justice. As keeper of the court’s records, we will ensure prosecutors have the most accurate information possible, access to the files they need on which to base their decisions, and to be a reliable partner and liaison within the courts. We embrace this opportunity for zealous collaboration,” said Circuit Court Clerk Nicholson.