LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mayor Greg Fischer's pick for Louisville's Inspector General is aiming to include community input when it comes to police accountability.
Ed Harness was announced as Fischer's selection for Inspector General earlier this week.
The newly created position will head the Civilian Review & Accountability Board, which was formed in Dec. 2020 as part of an effort to reimagine public safety and add a way to independently review the Louisville Metro Police Department and its disciplinary matters. The board was formed in the wake of the LMPD killing of Breonna Taylor.
"I thought the city of Louisville deserved to have a professional oversight person, especially with their first iteration of oversight," Harness said in an interview Friday. "I will be hearing and listening to many different perspectives when it comes to the community."
Harness comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has served as the executive director of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency since 2015. During his tenure, he helped establish the agency that would handle civilian complaints against police. It also monitored internal affairs for the Albuquerque Police Department.
The ability to punish police officers still rests solely with LMPD Chief Erika Shields. Harness and the board will only have the ability to review investigations and make recommendations. However, Harness committed to speak out if he disagreed with a decision.Â
"I'm being hired because I have certain expertise and certain opinions about how things should be done," he said.Â
Fischer said in a statement that Harness has unique qualifications for the job.
Harness spent 12 years as a police officer in Milwaukee before going to law school.Â
The appointment must be approved by Louisville's Metro Council.
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