FRANKFORT, Ky. — As the legislative session continues in Frankfort, Republican lawmakers hope to bring a new Kentucky State Police (KSP) post to Louisville.
House Bill 441, filed on Wednesday by Representatives Jared Bauman and Kevin Bratcher, looks to complete the vision of former Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron.
During Cameron's election bid, he advocated for bringing a post to Louisville as a way to combat rising crime in the city.
Bratcher said having a state police presence would help ease Louisville Metro Police since they are understaffed.
"Right now they are short quite a bit and there's no reason that the state police can't be here and help a little bit," he said.
Louisville's never had a KSP post. There are three not far from Jefferson County; Elizabethtown is to the south and Frankfort is to the east. But the closest one to downtown Louisville is just 36 miles up I-71, in Campbellsburg.
Bratcher said a state trooper can do many other duties than a regular officer.
"Not just patrolling the streets, but helping with the general overall law enforcement of this city," he said.
However, Gov. Andy Beshear, who won the election, opposes the idea. Beshear said state police resources are already stretched thin and a post in Louisville would take troopers away from areas that need them.
On Thursday, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg gave his annual "State of the City" address. The mayor said while gun violence and carjackings have gone down, there is still "much more work to be done."
Although Greenberg did not speak on the creation of a new KSP post in the Metro, he said that in order to save lives and put a stop to violence, Louisville has to have a police department that is "trusted, transparent, and well-trained."
"That means community policing where officers work with the community to prevent violent crimes," he said. "And it means that we provide our police with tools and resources that are best in class."
He also said both KSP and LMPD share a challenge: both need more officers. Greenberg told WHAS11 Louisville is still 200 officers short of being fully staffed.
"I think the way it works right now is probably the best path forward, but I would encourage the state legislator to continue to support LMPD and other police departments," he said.
He's urged the legislature to make other moves, saying that by raising the pension, both Louisville and KSP "can do an even better job of recruiting more officers to help prevent and respond to violent crime."
But first, the bill has to be seen by a committee.
"We will just have to see how it works itself out," Bratcher said.
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