The Lexington city council met for six hours Tuesday to consider a variety of issues related to policing. The meeting included presentations by the police chief, Fraternal Order of Police, city lawyers as well as comments from citizens.
Attention focused early in the meeting on no-knock warrants. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton this week announced a moratorium on the practice, except in life-and-death cases. Police Chief Lawrence Weathers doesn’t favor an all-out ban. “You’re going to make a moratorium and say you’re absolutely not going to do this, I’m going to tell you, you better think of every eventuality. Sometimes those are needed and granted, they’re not needed much,” said Weathers.
Weathers cited a kidnapping with potential for violence as an example. He said there had been four no-knocks in the past five years with no shots fired in any of them.
Vice Mayor Steve Kay said efforts to make changes often need to go through Frankfort. “And I think people sometimes think we’re just trying to dodge responsibility, but the state has the power to prevent us from doing things and mandates what we need to do,” explained Kay.
Lieutenant Jonathon Bastian with the FOP said what happened in Minneapolis with the death of George Floyd would never happen in Lexington. “We can look at what is Lexington doing well and where can Lexington improve and then we can find a Lexington solution for what we identify as a Lexington problem. But, I will tell you 100%, that man is going to go to prison and he’s going to deserve it,” said Bastian.
Council Member Jennifer Reynolds said it’s important that citizen concerns are heard and considered seriously. “Just because we feel like everything has been fine, doesn’t mean that everybody in our community feels like they’ve been treated fairly by our police department. And we have to listen to that even if that’s not our experience,” noted Reynolds.
After five hours of presentations and questions by council members, citizens were given time to offer thoughts remotely. Lilly Miller Johnson worries some officers may defend in-appropriate behavior. “That’s how corruptions starts, somebody taking up for somebody else. If they don’t turn them in how you know they’re not turning them in, cause ‘hey I say it didn’t happen and he said it didn’t happen, so ok it didn’t happen,” said Johnson.
Another remote session to hear from more citizens is scheduled this evening. No action was taken during Tuesday’s meeting.
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