LMPD :: Louisville Metro Police Department
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New police chief Steve Conrad sets lofty goal for Louisville and its officers

Conrad reacquaints himself with Louisville

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Steve Conrad said he has a big goal for Louisville - making it the safest city in America.

"It may be something we never reach, but if we work toward that goal, we end up with a safer community," he said during an interview with The Courier-Journal editorial board Wednesday.

Conrad, 55, met with the board a day after Mayor Greg Fischer announced that Conrad would be the next chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department. On Tuesday, Conrad was introduced publicly and then spent the day visiting each patrol division, meeting with commanders and officers.

On Wednesday, Conrad visited with the mayor and senior staff, members of the Metro Council and members of the Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition. He will return to Glendale, Ariz., Thursday to complete his final few weeks as chief there and then begin work in Louisville on March 19.

Initially, Conrad, who left Louisville Metro Police in 2005 having served as an assistant chief, said he has no plans to change his command staff structure. He said he has asked the two deputy chiefs, Yvette Gentry and Vince Robison, who were both finalists for the chief's job, to stay on.

Conrad said he has complete faith in both Robison and Gentry, and looks forward to creating a strong team to move the department forward.

"It's not exactly like you have an outside chief coming in who doesn't know the people," Conrad said.

But he said he knows he has a lot to learn about what has changed in the six years he has been leading the Glendale Police.

To start getting a handle on things, and in hopes of shaping a vision for the department, Conrad said he plans to conduct a survey of all officers holding the rank of lieutenant or higher. The survey seeks to determine what three internal and three external issues are the biggest problems for the department and what potential solutions exist to those issues.

Conrad said he will follow up the survey by meeting with officers, community leaders and government officials to further shape a priority list.

But Conrad said he has already challenged LMPD commanders to think of ways that the department can improve.

"This is a chance to question what we're doing and why we're doing it," he said. "I'm not intending to make immediate changes ... but it's important to do an assessment."

Conrad also said Wednesday that he intends to remain hands-on in the process of analyzing crime and where resources need to be allocated throughout Louisville. Former Chief Robert White, who is now the chief in Denver, used to run most weekly crime analysis meetings, called COMPSTAT, and took a hands-on approach to managing resources.

"I'm a detail guy," Conrad said. "What's going on with crime on the streets is a pretty big detail."

One thing Conrad said he will try to improve on is his connection with the troops. White, before leaving, said he regretted not having a better relationship with officers. Conrad credited White with helping to restore public confidence in the police, but said he would like to find a better balance between reaching out to the public and interacting with officers.

He also said he does not intend on using Louisville as a springboard to any other chief's job. He said White's reputation inside the department was damaged once it was known that he'd looked for jobs in cities including Chicago and Dallas.

Conrad said he would like to remain as chief as long as possible and finish his career in Louisville.

"Louisville's home," he said. "It is my hope to be able to retire from this job."