Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a bigger crowd than I normally see on Wednesdays.
As I was telling the audience just a few minutes ago,
we are pleased to have the chief of Police of
the Louisville Metro Police Department, and he is Paul Humphrey.
And Chief Paul, good to see you, brother.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Thanks for having me again. It's always a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
It is a pleasure for us because you're doing just
a fantastic job in this city, and I thank you
so much. You and Mayor of Greenberg. A couple of
weeks ago, talked about some new plans, and the thing
is you've talked about other plans, and you have implemented
those plans and we're starting to see the results of
those plans. So, first of all, thanks for your leadership
(00:36):
that I think the city is needed for a long
long time.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, I think leadership is often about getting out of
people's way and letting them do what they're good at.
And so I've been pretty fortunate to be surrounded with
a good executive staff and command staff. But we've got
great officers out there that are doing the work every day,
and so all my job is to tell them what
we need done and they go out and do it,
and so it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So what in your plan now as you've rolled it out,
what's being implemented really well, what are the things you
would like to see anybody?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
If you think about our crime plan that we came
out with several months ago, think about our crime plan
as being more specific to the police department, whereas the
Mayor's plan is about all those other things that the
city needs to support in order to make sure that
we have a safe city where everyone feels feels good
about what's going on. And so it's it's nice to
(01:28):
have the support to know that the rest of all
the city organizations are on board with with what our
mission is. And so I think it gives us the
continuity across government to make sure that we can get
our job done.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
You got to have a safe place, obviously if you
want to. You know, it is I don't know if
it's concerning or not, but a lot of people have
feared going downtown for a while, and that's the thing
that you got to take away. And obviously that's you
have a thriving city, a place to go to to
(02:04):
get out of the burbs or whatever the case may
be right.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I always talk about, you know, downtown is everybody's neighborhood.
Where city and neighborhoods, but downtown is where everybody goes.
And I think, you know, everybody who's lived here for
a long time or grown up here like us, you
saw the development and the growth that downtown was. Downtown
was this thing that was talked about like it was
supposed to be something. And I think, you know, twenty eighteen,
twenty nineteen, I think we were all looking at downtown
(02:28):
like this, this is amazing, this is what the city
needs to be. And then obviously the setbacks that happened
in twenty twenty. But we are not in twenty twenty anymore.
This is not twenty and twenty one. I think downtown
is a place that when people go down there, they
realize that this is an awesome place to visit. We've
dedicated a lot of resources, not just from the police department,
but in general. You can do whatever you want to
(02:50):
do downtown, and it's Here's the thing is that it's
not just about going down there to have fun. When
you talk about the economic engine of the state, is Louisville, Well,
the economic engine of Louisville is downtown, and so if
we don't have a thriving downtown, then the rest of
the state suffers. And I said, and so we have
to make sure collectively that we're all on board with
making sure that it's successful.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I talked a couple of days ago with the folks
at Kentucky Derby Festival, and we were talking about what
happened at the festival down down town and some miscreants
got a little rowby. How did you you were ready
to roll right on that though?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
It looked like yeah, And that's that's that's always unfortunate
when you have a group of kids that that are unsupervised,
that are just out of control. And so I think
they've put in some pretty good plans as far as
going forward to make sure that doesn't happen. Kind of
went to the mall rules of kids have to be
with an adult, and I think that's completely appropriate. And
so look that that's actually not staffed by LUMPD, but
(03:55):
we we go down there to help whenever we're needed.
And so whatever is going downtown going on downtown, regardless
of whether it's the Festiville and the child Wagon or
other events. We're always going to make sure that we
have officers that are available to staff those things.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Finally here, I mean it's not just Derby or Oaks.
I mean this whole week you have to put a
lot of a manpower, well you know, or police power
behind this. Tell us about that, right this.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Obviously, between the weeks between thunder over Louisville and the
day after Kentucky Derby are busy for us. You know,
no vacation days. Allers have to move their off days around,
a lot of time spent on the feet, and these
are exhausting days. But it's one of those things where
you know it's for for an amazing time, right everybody
for the most part, everybody's in a good mood. And
it's not just Derby. We still have the rest of
(04:42):
the city to take care of. But I can tell
you this is the first time I've been in the backside.
It's not something that I would have come to otherwise,
but this is absolutely awesome. I think one of the
things I like about the police department in my job
is you get to see all the things behind the
scenes and you get to you get to make things happen.
You know, I've been I've been on the roof and
I've been in the gutters of Churchill Downs and seeing
(05:05):
it from that perspective, and it's pretty awesome because not
everybody gets to experience things that way.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That's why some of us have become media members. We're
too chicken to be cops.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I mean, it's it's not it is it really is.
I've gotten I've gotten to experience things that most people
don't get to experience. And so, uh, it's it's a
fun time and I think even you know, let's let's
hope the weather holds up and people come out here,
have have a good time, spend some money, have some drinks,
and have an experience that they can talk about for
the rest of their life.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Well, you've done a wonderful job. I can honestly say that.
I mean from every every point of from it's the
suburbs all the way, you know, into the city, and
we really appreciate your leadership.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well I appreciate it. And like I said, it's it's
not about the job I'm doing. It's I'm talking about
the work that other people are doing.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I know you didn't really want it, but you've got it,
you know.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I can't complain about a job I didn't apply for,
but it's it's been pretty awesome that the community support.
I think that was one of the things that shocked
me from the beginning, is the amount of community support.
And I knew that it wasn't for Paul Humphrey. Nobody,
Nobody cares about Paul Humphrey. It's it's about understanding that
everybody wants this police department to be successful, and that
support was really about the men and women of LMPD
(06:16):
more than it was about me the individual. Because I'm
this job is bigger than any one person. And you know,
before I was chief, this department in the city existed
and they'll exist long after I'm gone. So my job
is to is to nurture it while i'm while I'm
here and make sure that it's as successful as it
can be.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Appreciate it, Thanks, Happy Derby.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Appreciate it all right, good, thanks all right.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Chief Paul Humphrey. Here on news radio, Aporty whs Back
said we got more coming up.
It's a bigger crowd than I normally see on Wednesdays.
As I was telling the audience just a few minutes ago,
we are pleased to have the chief of Police of
the Louisville Metro Police Department, and he is Paul Humphrey.
And Chief Paul, good to see you, brother.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Thanks for having me again. It's always a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
It is a pleasure for us because you're doing just
a fantastic job in this city, and I thank you
so much. You and Mayor of Greenberg. A couple of
weeks ago, talked about some new plans, and the thing
is you've talked about other plans, and you have implemented
those plans and we're starting to see the results of
those plans. So, first of all, thanks for your leadership
(00:36):
that I think the city is needed for a long
long time.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, I think leadership is often about getting out of
people's way and letting them do what they're good at.
And so I've been pretty fortunate to be surrounded with
a good executive staff and command staff. But we've got
great officers out there that are doing the work every day,
and so all my job is to tell them what
we need done and they go out and do it,
and so it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So what in your plan now as you've rolled it out,
what's being implemented really well, what are the things you
would like to see anybody?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
If you think about our crime plan that we came
out with several months ago, think about our crime plan
as being more specific to the police department, whereas the
Mayor's plan is about all those other things that the
city needs to support in order to make sure that
we have a safe city where everyone feels feels good
about what's going on. And so it's it's nice to
(01:28):
have the support to know that the rest of all
the city organizations are on board with with what our
mission is. And so I think it gives us the
continuity across government to make sure that we can get
our job done.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
You got to have a safe place, obviously if you
want to. You know, it is I don't know if
it's concerning or not, but a lot of people have
feared going downtown for a while, and that's the thing
that you got to take away. And obviously that's you
have a thriving city, a place to go to to
(02:04):
get out of the burbs or whatever the case may
be right.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I always talk about, you know, downtown is everybody's neighborhood.
Where city and neighborhoods, but downtown is where everybody goes.
And I think, you know, everybody who's lived here for
a long time or grown up here like us, you
saw the development and the growth that downtown was. Downtown
was this thing that was talked about like it was
supposed to be something. And I think, you know, twenty eighteen,
twenty nineteen, I think we were all looking at downtown
(02:28):
like this, this is amazing, this is what the city
needs to be. And then obviously the setbacks that happened
in twenty twenty. But we are not in twenty twenty anymore.
This is not twenty and twenty one. I think downtown
is a place that when people go down there, they
realize that this is an awesome place to visit. We've
dedicated a lot of resources, not just from the police department,
but in general. You can do whatever you want to
(02:50):
do downtown, and it's Here's the thing is that it's
not just about going down there to have fun. When
you talk about the economic engine of the state, is Louisville, Well,
the economic engine of Louisville is downtown, and so if
we don't have a thriving downtown, then the rest of
the state suffers. And I said, and so we have
to make sure collectively that we're all on board with
making sure that it's successful.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I talked a couple of days ago with the folks
at Kentucky Derby Festival, and we were talking about what
happened at the festival down down town and some miscreants
got a little rowby. How did you you were ready
to roll right on that though?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
It looked like yeah, And that's that's that's always unfortunate
when you have a group of kids that that are unsupervised,
that are just out of control. And so I think
they've put in some pretty good plans as far as
going forward to make sure that doesn't happen. Kind of
went to the mall rules of kids have to be
with an adult, and I think that's completely appropriate. And
so look that that's actually not staffed by LUMPD, but
(03:55):
we we go down there to help whenever we're needed.
And so whatever is going downtown going on downtown, regardless
of whether it's the Festiville and the child Wagon or
other events. We're always going to make sure that we
have officers that are available to staff those things.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Finally here, I mean it's not just Derby or Oaks.
I mean this whole week you have to put a
lot of a manpower, well you know, or police power
behind this. Tell us about that, right this.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Obviously, between the weeks between thunder over Louisville and the
day after Kentucky Derby are busy for us. You know,
no vacation days. Allers have to move their off days around,
a lot of time spent on the feet, and these
are exhausting days. But it's one of those things where
you know it's for for an amazing time, right everybody
for the most part, everybody's in a good mood. And
it's not just Derby. We still have the rest of
(04:42):
the city to take care of. But I can tell
you this is the first time I've been in the backside.
It's not something that I would have come to otherwise,
but this is absolutely awesome. I think one of the
things I like about the police department in my job
is you get to see all the things behind the
scenes and you get to you get to make things happen.
You know, I've been I've been on the roof and
I've been in the gutters of Churchill Downs and seeing
(05:05):
it from that perspective, and it's pretty awesome because not
everybody gets to experience things that way.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That's why some of us have become media members. We're
too chicken to be cops.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I mean, it's it's not it is it really is.
I've gotten I've gotten to experience things that most people
don't get to experience. And so, uh, it's it's a
fun time and I think even you know, let's let's
hope the weather holds up and people come out here,
have have a good time, spend some money, have some drinks,
and have an experience that they can talk about for
the rest of their life.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Well, you've done a wonderful job. I can honestly say that.
I mean from every every point of from it's the
suburbs all the way, you know, into the city, and
we really appreciate your leadership.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well I appreciate it. And like I said, it's it's
not about the job I'm doing. It's I'm talking about
the work that other people are doing.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I know you didn't really want it, but you've got it,
you know.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I can't complain about a job I didn't apply for,
but it's it's been pretty awesome that the community support.
I think that was one of the things that shocked
me from the beginning, is the amount of community support.
And I knew that it wasn't for Paul Humphrey. Nobody,
Nobody cares about Paul Humphrey. It's it's about understanding that
everybody wants this police department to be successful, and that
support was really about the men and women of LMPD
(06:16):
more than it was about me the individual. Because I'm
this job is bigger than any one person. And you know,
before I was chief, this department in the city existed
and they'll exist long after I'm gone. So my job
is to is to nurture it while i'm while I'm
here and make sure that it's as successful as it
can be.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Appreciate it, Thanks, Happy Derby.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Appreciate it all right, good, thanks all right.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Chief Paul Humphrey. Here on news radio, Aporty whs Back
said we got more coming up.
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