‘Strong system in place now.’ Lexington Mayor supports limited use of no-knock warrants.

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said Thursday she supports the limited use of no-knock warrants in Lexington just two days after a council committee took its first vote to ban the practice that allows police to enter a residence without knocking or announcing.

“I thoroughly understand no-knock warrants,” said Gorton, who placed a moratorium on no-knocks in June after Louisville police officers killed Breonna Taylor during the serving of a no-knock warrant in Louisville. That moratorium allows for the police to use a no-knock warrant in life or death situations with Gorton’s approval.

“I believe we have a very strong system in place right now. I do have lots of faith and trust in our chief,” Gorton said, referring to Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers.

Gorton’s comments about no-knock warrants came at the end of Thursday’s Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council meeting.

Councilman Richard Moloney pressed Gorton on her stance on no-knock warrants. Gorton appointed a more than 70-member Commission on Racial Justice and Equality to study issues involving race. That commission issued more than 54 recommendations in October. One of those recommendations was to ban no-knock warrants.

“Do you support your commission or your police chief?” Moloney asked.

The council’s Planning and Public Safety Committee unanimously passed an ordinance banning no-knock warrants on Tuesday. The full 15-member council will likely take its first vote on the issue in early June.

A group of Lexington Black Faith leaders sent letters to Gorton and the council last month demanding to know where each member stood on no-knock warrants by May 15. The group first asked city leaders to ban no-knock warrants in June 2020.

The council began discussions on no-knock warrants last summer. Those discussions were paused last fall to determine if the state General Assembly was going to pass a statewide ban on no-knock warrants. Earlier this year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 4, which limited no-knock warrants but did not ban them.

During Tuesday’s Planning and Public Safety meeting, Weathers said Lexington police rarely use no-knock warrants —only four have been served in five years. Those warrants were used for dangerous individuals, he said. Lexington should not take away a tool used effectively and safely here because of what happened in Louisville, he argued.

Vice Mayor Steve Kay said Thursday the issue is not about supporting the police or supporting the recommendations of the commission or the Black Faith leaders. The issue needs to be framed differently.

“This is about what’s best for our community,” Kay said. “At this moment, banning no-knocks is in the best interest of the police even if they don’t see it that way and it’s in the best interest of the public.”

Several people also spoke during Thursday’s meeting about a provision in the proposed no-knock ordinance that addresses the serving of all warrants. Originally the ordinance said after knocking, a police officer must wait 15 seconds or a reasonable amount of time before entering. The 15-second provision was deleted during Tuesday’s meeting. The ordinance now says officers must wait a reasonable amount of time before entering a residence after knocking.

James Woodhead said the 15-second language should be restored before the council takes a final vote.

“I believe Louisville is correct with their language which states wait a minimum of 15 seconds or a reasonable amount of time, whichever is greater,” Woodhead said. “Without this language I worry that that we leave the door open to loopholes that may be exploited and continue to place people in harm’s way.”

Louisville passed a no-knock warrant ban last year.

Several other citizens asked the mayor and council to fully fund recommendations from the Commission on Racial Justice and Equality including a citizen’s advocate to help people fill out formal complaints against police officers, a program that would divert 911 calls involving people with mental illness or other issues to social workers and a sobering center so people who are intoxicated do not have to be taken to the Fayette County Detention Center.

Sarah Williams, one of the founders of LPD Accountability, told the council she has tried to file a formal complaint against a police officer and can’t. That’s why a citizen liaison is an important position to fund, she said. Police will take the complaint and then decide if it’s a formal or informal complaint. A formal complaint is investigated by the public integrity division. An informal complaint is sent to the officer’s supervisor.

“They take whatever you give them and type it up however they see fit,” Williams said.