Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg removed the "interim" tag from Paul Humphrey's title, naming him as the permanent Louisville Metro Police chief effective immediately at a news conference Monday morning.
During the announcement, Greenberg said the city needs "stable and strong leadership" to become the "best police department in America."
Humphrey, who joined LMPD in 2006, is the sixth person to head the department since June 2020. LMPD has been embroiled in conflict and controversy following the police killing of Breonna Taylor, a scathing Department of Justice investigation and, recently, the high-profile arrest of professional golfer Scottie Scheffler and multiple internal allegations of sexual misconduct.
Greenberg said the department needs, "a leader with the skills, experience, temperament, commitment and passion that Paul Humphrey has demonstrated.”
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He continued, praising Humphrey's focus on communication internally, with his administration and the public.
“Even if it might be things we don’t want to talk about, that we wish were a different way, dealing with reality, dealing with the facts and willing to make difficult decisions, I think is incredibly important for the leadership of LMPD, for any important leadership role," Greenberg said.
Humphrey also announced the department will see "one of the largest command staff movements in the history of LMPD."
"We’re going to move, promote or change 16 of 24 command staff members," Humphrey said. Changes, which will take place Sept. 27, include Brian Kuriger for accountability and improvement along with Emily McKinley and Ryan Bates as deputy chiefs. Additionally, Donny Burbrink will be assistant chief of patrol and Corey Robinson will be assistant chief of administration. Kuriger was previously accused and cleared of sexually harassing another top officer.
Humphrey said the changes are a "huge opportunity for growth and improvement" and bring a "great group of leaders" to the top of the department.
He continued, saying while he's excited for his new title, it happened under "unforeseen circumstances" and was "not part of the life plan." Humphrey is eligible to retire in two years but hopes to maintain the role under the entirety of the Greenberg administration, which Humphrey implied he would like to continue into a second term.
Attorney General Russell Coleman said during his time in office, Humphrey being named chief is the "most impactful public safety decision" made by Louisville's mayor.
"I applaud Mayor Greenberg’s selection and congratulate Paul and his family," Coleman said. “We look forward to zealous collaboration with Chief Humphrey and the essential agency he now leads to reduce violent crime, effectively implement Group Violence Intervention (GVI) and keep Louisville families safe.”
Humphrey was named interim chief June 25 by Greenberg following the resignation of former LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel amid concerns over how she handled a workplace sexual misconduct allegation .
The Monday announcement comes after Greenberg spokesperson Kevin Trager said the mayor's administration was "still evaluating all our options regarding LMPD future leadership" earlier this month.
Ultimately, Greenberg decided not to conduct a national search, saying it became "very clear to me that we had the right person in the job for the job."
The mayor faced criticism in the 2023 chief search, with the selection process mired in secrecy and controversy. He decided not to name finalists in the search that ended with the selection of Gwinn-Villaroel, though other cities often do and as Louisville has done in the past . He also required the seven-member advisory panel to sign nondisclosure agreements .
“The public was kept in the dark completely,” Raoul Cunningham, president of the Louisville Branch NAACP said at the time.
Related: Will Louisville do a national police chief search? Mayor still won't say
Cunningham said Monday he wishes Humphrey well and hopes "he can bring about a change in the climate of the Louisville Police Department."
However, Cunningham was disappointed there was not a national search, saying most cities go through that process to ensure they have the best candidate. He will be watching to see how Humphrey interacts with the community and how transparent he will be about Louisville's looming consent decree, he said.
Humphrey has been with the department for 18 years. Since joining, he has served as commander of the organization’s SWAT before moving to recruitment and training in 2019. In 2021, he became the assistant chief.
"Now, a question is, is he a part of that culture, or does he have the know-how to change the culture of that department?" Cunningham asked.
However, Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins said she believes his experience in Louisville makes him the right person for the role.
"Why bring someone from the outside who has no idea about the culture?" she said, also adding that Humphrey has the right "lenses" for the job.
According to a biography on the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council’s website , Humphrey is a graduate of Louisville’s St. Xavier High School as well as the University of Louisville, where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in criminal justice.
Investigative reporter Josh Wood contributed.
This is a breaking news story and may update.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announces new LMPD chief of police
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