POLICE STEERING COMMITTEE
August 26, 2025 6:00 PM
Location: St. Matthews City Hall (2nd Floor Conference Room)
3940 Grandview Ave. Minutes
1. Called the Meeting to Order: Chief Barry Wilkerson (Chair) called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM.
2. Roll Call – Chief Barry S. Wilkerson, Major Leon E. Jones, Jr, Major Anthony J. Cobaugh, Mayor Richard J. Tonini, Councilman Benard F. Bowling, Jr., Councilman Timothy Holland
3. Approval of Minutes (08/12/2025)
a. Mayor Tonini made a motion to accept the minutes.
b. Second: Councilman Bowling
c. Vote: Motion carried unanimously
4. Pending Business
a. Vehicles – Chief Wilkerson provided information regarding the arrival of the new police vehicles and upfitting. The Committee agreed to the purchase of new In-Car cameras which will be needed for current and future vehicles. The cameras were purchased at a 40% discount, saving approximately $60,000. Seven (7) vehicles have arrived and will be upfitted as needed. We are working on a schedule with RCS. The Chief’s Tahoe has arrived and is ready for upfitting. The M500 in-car cameras have been ordered and save the city over $59,000.00 ($145,542.00 to $85, 800.00).
b. Personnel – Chief Wilkerson updated the committee on the posting for the new positions vacated by Officer Armstrong and Officer Marasa, both full-time and part-time, respectively. We are posting 08/29/2025 until 09/12/2025 for both full-time and part-time positions. We will recruit through KACP, Social Media Platforms and word of mouth via our officers.
c. Standard Operating Procedures – Chief Wilkerson will be updating policies and procedures utilizing best practices implemented by the KY Model Policy Committee and gave a timeline of September for its completion.
d. Crime – Chief Wilkerson gave a briefing on our current crime trends and ways to reduce crime. Shoplifting continues to be one of our highest crimes. We will be collaborating with the main corporations (Mall, Plaza, Best Buy, Home Depot, Target, Kroger) to curb shoplifting. The Chief will be writing a letter to corporations advocating for more support in loss prevention per KRS 433.236. St. Matthews had a burglary at Play it Again Sports and Clothes Mentor. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled.
e. Executive Session [KRS 61.878(1)(m)] Exempt Records Discussion
i. Chief Wilkerson made a motion to enter Executive Session
ii. Second: Mayor Tonini
iii. Vote: Motion carried unanimously, and began at 6:43 PM
iv. Homicide Case Discussion
v. Mayor Tonini made a motion to return to open session.
vi. Second: Councilman Holland
vii. Vote: Motion carried unanimously, and returned to open session at 6:48 PM
viii. No official action was taken during Executive Session. All discussions were confidential as permitted by law.
5. Meeting Adjournment
a. Motion: Mayor Tonini made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
b. Second: Councilman Bowlin
c. Vote: The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting concluded at 6:49 PM.
Barry S. Wilkerson, Chief of Police, Chair
Attest: Leon E. Jones, Jr., Assistant Chief of Police
