Council seeks to limit constable powers

The following is a press release from Tony Hyatt on behalf of the Louisville Metro Council regarding the stupid and insane behavior of "Constable" David Whitlock. Wanna-be Whitlock and his outrageous mockery of law enforcement ended with a shooting in the parking lot of a south west Louisville Wal-Mart last month.

Tony Hyatt is certainly nicer and more diplomatic than I would be about it. Perhaps that is why he is the Communications Director for the Majority Caucus and I blog about Valley Station. Whitlock is a punk and a poser with a badge and a gun, and the state legislature should eliminate this ridiculous title from the ballot. It isn't 1850 anymore. We don't need constables. -Brian

For Immediate Release:

Council members propose resolution calling for the investigation of Constable David Whitlock

Ordinance proposed to tighten controls over constables


Louisville – After meeting with Chief Robert White, three Louisville Metro Council members are moving forward with a proposed resolution and ordinance which deals with Jefferson County Constable David Whitlock.

Council members Rick Blackwell (D-12), Kelly Downard (R-16) and David James (D-6) have been in the process of reviewing the duties of Constables since a shooting last month involving Whitlock.

The resolution calls upon the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to review alleged violations of Kentucky Revised Statues by the Constable. The resolution says the review should determine if there has been misfeasance or malfeasance in office or willful neglect in the discharge of his official duties.

“In reviewing what actions can be taken, this appears to be the proper course of action in dealing with an elected state official,” says Blackwell. “As a matter of public safety, the time has come to review someone who is allegedly not interested in upholding the laws of the Commonwealth.”

The resolution cites Whitlock in several alleged violations; wearing a uniform and using a badge, failure to file monthly reports on activity with the Jefferson County clerk, using oscillating blue lights and a siren which has not been allowed by law since 2007 and illegally deputizing staff members to perform the duties of deputy constables.

The proposed ordinance re-enforces what a constable can and cannot do in Jefferson County.

“The ordinance will clearly spell out that a constable can wear a badge and a uniform but the uniform must not resemble that of the Jefferson County Sheriff or Sheriff’s Deputy and it must not resemble the uniform of a Louisville Metro Police Officer. The staff of the Constable will not be allowed to wear a uniform or carry a badge.” says James.

Violation of the proposed ordinance would be a Class B Misdemeanor punishable by a fine ranging from $250 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

“We are adding more teeth to the current ordinance,” says James. “The public should know that a constable is restricted by the State Constitution to certain legal duties. There is a major safety concern when we have peace officers that are untrained and unwilling to follow the law.”

Both measures will receive first reading on Thursday night during the Metro Council’s regular meeting.

LMPD 3rd District crime trends: Lock up your stuff

A home burglary was reported off of Flintlock were valuables were taken. Be vigilant in keeping your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary, especially late at night. A second home burglary was reported in the same area where the victim saw a black male suspect wearing glasses try to break in to the front window. The suspect fled with nothing in a light blue 90’s model Toyota Corolla with rust.
A theft from a shed was reported off of Lower Hunters where big items were stolen. Always call the police with any suspicious activity you may witness.

A theft of a vehicle was reported off of Graston Ave.

An unknown white female was reported to have asked to use the bathroom inside a home on St. Andrews Church Rd. Once inside, the female is suspected to have stolen 2 pistols and a shotgun. Any information that you may have to help in the investigation, please call police.

A home burglary was reported off of Terry Rd. Force was used to get into the home where 4 different class rings along with other valuables were taken.

An air conditioning unit was reported stolen from a residence in Sylvania.

A vehicle was left UNLOCKED in the parking lot of the Walmart on Raggard Rd and a laptop was stolen from this car. ALWAYS LOCK YOUR VEHICLES AND SECURE ALL VALUABLES OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT.

There was a report of a home burglary off of St Andrews Church Rd. The glass on the back door was damaged and valuables inside were taken. Keep an eye out for any suspicious people and vehicles in your neighborhood and ALWAYS call the police with any concerns.

2 separate reports were taken on National Turnpike. The first was a vehicle that was broken into with valuable property inside. The second was a business burglary where a hole was cut into the fence in order to gain access to the property. If you happen to be out late at night and see any that you deem suspicious going on, never hesitate to call the police.

Police are looking for a gray truck that was seen to be involved in a theft on Fairdale Rd.

An MSD sewer grate was reported stolen on Sinclair. Any information you may have in regards to this type of theft, please call the police.

A firearm was reported stolen from a vehicle off of Torrington Rd. Remember to lock your vehicles and hide any valuables that you may have in plain sight. It’s best to leave nothing of value in your car anytime you are away from it.

We had 2 MSD catch basin grates reported stolen from the area surrounding Stone Ridge Landing. If you have any information that could help police in these thefts, please don’t hesitate to call.

A burglary report was filed off of Grafton Hall. Remember to ALWAYS LOCK YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS TO YOUR HOME AND GARAGE, ESPECIALLY WHILE YOU ARE AWAY.

There was a report of a car break in off of Bethany Ln. Remember to be vigilant in calling for police assistance anytime you feel you may be in need.

A home burglary was also reported in the area of Terry Rd and Morning Glory.

Welcome to Southwest Louisville Magazine

There's a new entry in the virtual news world that is focused on our corner of the universe. "Southwest Louisville Magazine" is a new site that recently launched and is dedicated to news and discussion of events and happenings around the southwest.

Southwest Louisville Magazine joins an increasingly large web presence for our community. The more, the merrier. Stop by and check it out today.

New on the site right now is a petition against the recent opening of the Vendors Village flea market in the Dixie Valley Shopping Center. There is also a forum, classified ads and a restaurant directory with more to come.

Interesting feature: The site's content can be translated in over 20 languages.

Support this new venture in our community and participate today.

Center for Women and Families focus of next District 12 Dialogue

It is an important agency that deals with a serious problem in Metro Louisville: domestic violence. The important work of the Center for Women and Families will be the focus of November’s District 12 Dialogue hosted by Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12).

“The Center offers refuge to women and their children who are in abusive relationships,” say Blackwell. “It is important to know how the Center works for our community to provide help and services to the victims of domestic violence.”

Marta Miranda, president and CEO of the Center for Women and Families, will be on hand to talk about their mission and the various programs offered.

“We are approaching a holiday time when the Center will be dealing with the potential of increased violence. I think it is important to not only understand what the Center does but how we can help,” says Blackwell.

Joining Councilman Blackwell will be representatives of other Metro Government agencies including MSD, Licensing and Permits and Louisville Metro Police. A representative of Congressman John Yarmuth’s office will also be on hand.

The November District 12 Dialogue will be held at Beechland Baptist Church, 4613 Greenwood Road beginning at 7:00pm. The District 12 Dialogue will take off for the month of December in honor of the holidays but will return with a new schedule of meetings in January 2012.

“I want to thank the agencies who helped us out this year by providing the people of District 12 with a better understanding of how different government services work,” says Blackwell. “My staff and I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and we will see you next year.”

For more information about the November District 12 Dialogue, contact Councilman Blackwell’s office at 574-1112.

District 25 grows under redistricting

In late October, the Metro Council unanimously approved new boundaries for all 26 Metro Council Districts. Redistricting is required every 10 years after the census data is released to ensure every district is evenly represented.

District 25 now includes portions for Auburndale, Iroquois Park, Pleasure Ridge Park and Valley Station.

The new District boundaries can be viewed here and a list of affected precincts can be found here.

If you don’t know what precinct you live in, please visit "MapIt" and enter your address. Your voting precinct will show up under the Political Information tab.

Represent SW Louisville on a board or commission

For years, I have urged residents of Southwest Louisville to be involved in their community by serving on city boards and commissions. I'd like to ask you all again today to take a look at donating some of your time so that we can be fairly represented on metro boards and commissions.

There is an online form you can fill out to be considered. The link appears below. You can pick a category so you don't get stuck on a board you don't like or a commission on which you have no interest.

Please consider doing this today.

Thanks for reading.

Link to serve on metro board or commission.