Shadows in the Selection Process: The Hazards of Keeping Police Chief Applicants Secret in Louisville, Kentucky
In contrast to the release of the names of all the applicants for police chief in Fort Myers recently[i], Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has refused to release the names of any of the nineteen applicants for police chief of the Louisville Police Department. [ii] Instead, various Louisville officials argue they cannot release the names of the applicants because of privacy concerns and past decisions by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office stating that candidates not chosen deserve protection. [iii] However, is this the best decision for the community of Louisville? In May, I wrote an extensive article that listed the pluses and minuses for police chief candidates' when their names are released as part of the hiring process. You can read the full article here. This article will not focus on those same concerns. Instead, the focus will be on the community’s perspective. Transparency Expectations One of the most critical expectations of government is that it is transparent and accountable. That it doesn’t operate in secret. Citizens expect their government to be transparent. All 50 states have passed open records laws that require specific records to be available to the public. [iv] Even in Louisville, Mayor Greenberg had recently restructured their…
