Louisville City Wire

After a monthslong, nationwide search, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Thursday he has chosen Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel as Louisville’s Chief of Police. Gwinn-Villaroel currently serves as interim chief and will now be the permanent leader of LMPD, the largest law enforcement agency in Kentucky with more than 1,000 sworn officers.

Gwinn-Villaroel was selected following a thorough nationwide search, which resulted in 20 candidates from across the United States. Each finalist was interviewed by an advisory committee of elected officials, nonprofit leaders and affected residents.

“Over the past six months, Chief Gwinn-Villaroel has shown our city that she has exactly what I’m looking for in a chief and exactly what our community is looking for in a leader,” said Mayor Greenberg. “She has extensive experience in law enforcement leadership and a record of reform. She is also a magnificent community leader and pastor who cares about the people she serves. Chief Gwinn-Villaroel has my trust, and I look forward to continuing to serve with her in this new role.”

Gwinn-Villaroel spent 24 years with the Atlanta Police Department, beginning in 1997 as a patrol officer and serving in numerous capacities including detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. In 2020 she was promoted to commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s Training Academy before joining LMPD as deputy chief in 2021.

In seven months as interim chief, she launched the department’s first nonfatal shooting unit, expanded the successful Crisis Call Diversion Program and opened the new LMPD Officer Wellness Center. She also created the new narcotics tip line and worked with the Office of Inspector General on an agreement to promote transparency and accountability in OIG investigations.

“Louisville has welcomed me with open arms, and I am honored to be the leader of our police department,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. “My team and I are dedicated to building trust between LMPD and the people of this city through community policing, transparency and accountability. And to the LMPD officers who dedicate their lives to public service every day: Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice. I look forward to working with all of you to make LMPD the best police department in America.”

Gwinn-Villaroel is married and has a teenage son. She is also an ordained pastor and founding member of Unstoppable Praise Ministries.

Gwinn-Villaroel’s official biography can be viewed at louisville-police.org/868/Our-Command-Staff.

Original source can be found here.