Metro Council passes resolution declaring September as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Metro Council recently passed a resolution declaring the month of September as a time to honor law enforcement officials.

“I think it’s a new day for the city, and this is a good milestone that there’s a new beginning here,” Metro Councilman Jeff Hudson (District 23) said.

In 2005, Louisville Metro Police Officer Peter Grignon was shot on the job.

Grignon was the first officer since the Metro merger to die in the line of duty. To honor of his sacrifice, officers serving and those fallen will be honored in his birth month.

In a unanimous vote on May 11, Metro Council passed a resolution declaring September as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month.

“This shows that bipartisan love and effort is alive and real in our largest city,” Ryan Straw, Kentucky State FOP Vice President said.

The resolution recognizes the selflessness, bravery, and courage of LMPD officers.

Officials hope building support for LMPD will boost morale and show officers their work isn’t unnoticed.

“Could you imagine a community without police officers?” Metro Councilman Dan Seum Jr. (District 13) said. “We need our police officers and we need community policing again. We need our community to trust again. Our officers need to trust that we support them because we do.”

The bipartisan vote for Law Enforcement Appreciation Month speaks to a larger picture. Metro Council members want to set a new standard for the community and city.

“We need to show that police are not bad people, and we are going to be there to help,” Metro Councilman Khalil Batshon (District 25) said. “It’s not a Black-white racial issue. We need more education, so let’s educate the communities and young minds in the west end, east end, and south end. We are here to work together.”

This year, all 26 Metro Council districts have been touched by crime and violence.

Officials hope the bipartisan vote uplifts those serving and protecting the city.

“We have to build the morale of the officers, so we can rebuild the relationships,” Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins (District 1) said. “Because at the end of the day, when something happens who do we call? The police. The same officers some of us are scared of, but we have to move past that.”

Officials are preparing celebrations to honor officers during the month of September. Specific plans and events will be announced later this summer.

Copyright 2023 WAVE. All rights reserved.