Director's Take

LIFT Is on the Beat

10-21-2026

Dear Friend of Downtown,

Ever since I started this job nearly 5 years ago, I have been asking the sitting chief of police for more officers in the Downtown Area Patrol (DAP), the Louisville Metro Police Department’s downtown-focused unit within the First Division.
 
At the end of 2021, most employees were still working from home and there was a pervasive unease left over from the social justice protests from 18 months prior. An increased presence of police officers would go a long way, I knew, to help people feel comfortable in a neighborhood that had changed, and for businesses to have comfort in remaining open.
 
The current LMPD chief is the third chief I have asked about adding an extra layer of attention on Downtown, because it’s home to the highest percentage of visitors, the largest job center, and the most concentrated area of hospitality and entertainment venues in our city. After two summers of needing overtime patrols in our entertainment districts, the new Louisville Impact & Flexible Team (LIFT) specialty unit began operations this week in Downtown, NuLu, and the Highlands.
 
This new unit is based in Downtown at 2nd and Jefferson Streets, and has more than double the officers that DAP did. Because LIFT is a fully-staffed permanent unit, LMPD is saving millions in overtime and brings a mobile, tactical team to the densely populated locations to ensure people can enjoy themselves. Even though their attention will generally be in the First and Fifth Divisions, they are mobile and big enough to respond to significant issues in other divisions as well.
 
My job lets me poke my nose in a lot of places, pulling together interdisciplinary strategies to best serve Downtown stakeholders. The partnerships at LMPD have taught me a lot about public safety response and I would be remiss if I did not thank Chief Humphrey and the two men who hatched this idea: Lt. Col. Bryan Edelen (previously the major of the First Division) and Major Mason Brown (previously in the First and major of the Fifth Division).
 
Knowing our city’s finest also are thinking of creative ways to solve problems should make all of us feel good. Hope to see you on the streets soon!