The LMPD conducted 72 forced entries from September 2019 through March 2020, according to a review of police records by grantees at the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. They kicked in doors, broke windows, and picked locks. They used battering rams and sledgehammers and, in one case, a concrete planter.
Occasionally, officers were in a race against the clock and breaking into a home to save a life, render aid or stop an attack. But more than half the time, LMPD officers were hunting for drugs and money when they forced their way into people’s homes or businesses, according to a KyCIR review of police records.
Policing experts say officers rely on the element of surprise the strategy offers. But using that force to search for drugs carries risks that often outweigh the rewards, according to criminal justice experts, police professionals and civil liberties advocates. Read the full report here.