Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and LMPD interim police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel spoke to the CLOUT organization assembly on Monday.

Mayor Craig Greenberg and interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroe apologized for the past 'abuses of public trust' committed by the city and LMPD.

"It's unacceptable. And it's inexcusable," Greenberg said.

Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together brought together various local leaders, clergy and mayoral candidates at its annual assembly Monday night to push officials to more urgently fight gun violence in the city and improve relationships between police and residents.

During its Nehemiah Action Assembly at St. John Paul II Parish, 3521 Goldsmith Lane, CLOUT sought commitments from Mayor Greg Fischer; Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields; and Metro Council President David James, D-6th District; to launch the “Truth and Transformation” initiative within the next month.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields were noticeably absent from a community meeting Monday night to address the rising gun violence.

Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together hosted its annual action assembly. This year it was called "Victory Over Violence: CLOUT's Strategies to Bring Shalom to Our City'.

Each year the group gathers community members to find out what are the biggest issues affecting the city. Member Larry Grossman said there were 22 research meetings held prior to Monday's assembly. He said crime came up consistently.

Hello, boosted violence-prevention funding. But goodbye, Synergy Project. Louisville Metro Council signed off Thursday on a fiscal year 2021-22 budget that largely preserves the police and public safety spending proposed by Mayor Greg Fischer — choosing not to cut the embattled Louisville Metro Police’s funding.

The $1.04 billion budget, approved 24-2 Thursday, comes after months of discussion including an engaged public calling for funding changes to public safety following a year of protests and record violent crime.

The slaying of Breonna Taylor and the heated protests that followed directed for months at Louisville Metro Police has built a chasm of distrust between many community members and officers.

The question is: How can the city rebuild that trust? Mayor Greg Fischer and other city leaders are betting a new city project will help provide the cure. Its critics, however, have called the project a “waste of time.”