LMPD :: Louisville Metro Police Department
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New Chief to address alleged police misconduct

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Louisville's new police chief is going straight to the problem - spending Tuesday evening in one of the city's most troubled neighborhoods.

For years the Beecher Terrace Housing Complex in west Louisville has been notorious for drugs, gangs and even murders.

"Hey, I've been here for every one. I know every last one of 'em," says Darrell Bullock, Beecher Terrace Resident. Bullock says it's outsiders causing most of the problems.

"If you check their IDs, they don't live here." But Bullock says Metro Police don't seem to know that. "They come over like...yeah we are going to get us some guys today!"

And often harass neighbors. He is a little animated but says he can prove it. "I've been one of the guys that they got, bruh." In fact, Bullock is wearing a tie because he's heading to court to fight a loitering charge.

"They road around...I was standing in my yard." Whether there's any truth to what neighbors are saying or not, help came on Tuesday evening because the place now has the eyes and ears of the city's new top cop.

"Obviously we've had an incident that occurred in Beecher Terrace that kind of got the community in an uproar where they were concerned about something that was captured on a video tape," says Col. Kenton Buckner, Assistant Chief LMPD.

Assistant Chief Buckner is talking in place of new Chief Steve Conrad...who was at a police training...he says the department is looking into what Bullock and other neighbors are alleging. That includes a video showing an officer hitting a suspect.

"The chief is aware of that, we've requested a full investigation for that," says Col. Buckner.

"If you don't see no trouble, you ain't got no business jumping out with your gun out, with yo billy bat...ah...just walking up to people, let me see ya ID," says Bullock, imitating police.

Bullock says that is reality for some neighbors and that's why he plans to give the chief an earful at Tuesday's meeting. "If he don't hear from nobody, he going to hear from me."

The meeting was held at the Baxter Community Center in the Beecher Terrace Housing Complex.