Officer Ullrich: Lgbtq+ Liaison Under Scrutiny

Now an expert, he is a Drug Acknowledgment Expert, “regularly looked for by other policemans for his exceptional understanding of illegal drugs and damaged driving,” among the notes in his documents claimed.

The 2024 ACLU report on policing the LGBTQ+ area pitched a number of potential remedies. One such suggestion: “Meticulously take into consideration police presence in public LGBTQ+ occasions and spaces, such as pride parades and festivals.”.

Ullrich’s almost 300-page personnel data– taken a look at multiple times by Queer Kentucky– paints a picture of a policeman anxious to join police, proactively examining up on practices around policing and instance regulation, and ending up being a de facto leader on his changes around website traffic stops, particularly ones entailing drugs.

Concerns Over Ullrich’s Policing

A note from a supervisor in Ullrich’s file claimed, “My most pressing issue is not always the errors that he remains to make, however instead his not so serious attitude toward his consistent policy offenses,” pointing to the previously mentioned conversation message.

The situation comes on top of a career-long pattern of being seen as proactive to the factor of being excitable and insubordinate, sometimes landing him in difficulty with supervisors during his time at the division, per an evaluation of his employees file.

Ullrich from accomplishing his desire to end up being (a field training policeman).”.

Civil Rights Lawsuit

His suitability for the role has been called into inquiry after Ullrich made headings– again– for being filed a claim against in federal court earlier this year, this time for presumably breaching a Black LGBTQ+ man’s civil legal rights in what started as a common website traffic quit that escalated into a circumstance where the man’s seat belt was cut off and he was pulled through a cars and truck home window.

One more note in his documents mentioned, “Ullrich’s wish to be so proactive in some cases backfires on him,” adding that, “When he hurries via his paperwork and proof treatments to get to that next phone call or make that following arrest, it leads to unreliable or incomplete documentation.”

Davis had filed a claim against before, additionally over Ullrich’s alleged civil legal rights violations throughout a traffic stop. LGBTQ+ people– specifically those that recognize as transgender, nonbinary, and bisexual– commonly encounter harsher and much more constant altercations with police, a 2024 ACLU record located, contrasted to those who aren’t LGBTQ+. More most likely to deal with police search, a lot more likely to deal with arrest, more most likely to be placed in custodianship. And they have a tendency to be much less eager to call the police for assistance if needed.

He likewise contends the city and Cops Principal Brian Valenti knew of Ullrich’s long history of such conduct “and fell short to take any rehabilitative activity” and that they’ve allowed officers “to act with impunity and have failed to appropriately educate or manage their police officers according to established plans.”.

Past Misconduct and Training

Ullrich also entered trouble in 2022 for stopping working to log proof effectively after he performed a web traffic stop, thought cannabis use, searched the automobile, located a suspected THC cartridge, and drove off without understanding he left it on the roofing of his police officer auto.

Meyer informed Queer Kentucky in late March the group usually doesn’t start planning for Satisfaction up until after Kentucky’s legislative session ends. She redirected any questions involving Ullrich to the city.

In another circumstances, Ullrich got in problem for using his taser on a suspect that was escaping from him and presented no clear threat to him– and for just how he reacted when a coworker brought it up in a chat room.

It appears these are obtaining much better but they are still popping up on celebration. Ullrich from attaining his wish to become (an area training police officer).”.

And there may be extra en route. Davis informed the Atlanta Black Star a minimum of 5 other people claim to have had comparable situations with Ullrich, and they may be contributed to Conner’s suit as co-defendants.

Ullrich asked Conner if he had a gun, and that circumstance ultimately, apparently, ended with Conner having his seat belt removed, obtaining pulled out of his automobile home window by police officers, and winding up in manacles.

As a participant of the LGBTQ+ area, and as someone with plenty of friends and family linked to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, Ullrich really feels “a solid duty to speak, act, and job with/for our community,” he informed Queer Kentucky.

“I recognize that this remark might have been made tongue-in-cheek throughout what he thought was private conversation, but there is more truth talked tongue-in-cheek than some want to confess,” the manager proceeded. “This genuinely problems me.”.

It isn’t the very first time Ullrich has been filed a claim against over declared civil liberties infractions. Since 2021, he’s been filed a claim against five times in government court– usually over allegations of extreme use of force and web traffic stops gone awry.

“The city of Covington’s commitment to openness and inclusivity continues to be unfaltering,” a city agent stated. “The LGBTQ+ liaison duty, which was the very first of its kind in North Kentucky, was created in an effort to provide a certain area with a straight connection to the Covington Authorities Division’s administration.

As Northern Kentucky gets ready for Satisfaction under a second Trump administration– one already considerably more aggressive toward the LGBTQ+ neighborhood– among individuals relied on with protecting a marginalized area is under attack for supposedly repeatedly going against civil rights of those he is trusted to safeguard.

City’s Response & Support

“In this role, I work to construct bridges with the neighborhood to make sure that they have a pleasant, trusted face for those dealing with victimization, discrimination, or just looking for clearness about the regulation,” Ullrich stated. “I got in policing to make a difference for my neighborhood, and being the LGBTQ+ intermediary assists me do just that.”.

He’s been applauded by the state for his web traffic stop and medication enforcement abilities in the past, and he minored in gender and diversity researches when he went to Xavier College, “knowing even then that I intended to serve the LGBTQ+ area,” he informed Queer Kentucky.

Davis had filed a claim against in the past, also over Ullrich’s alleged civil legal rights violations during a traffic stop. He ended up obtaining approved for exactly how the lawsuit was taken care of, and his plaintiff obtained billed for some of the city’s lawful fees.

One note outlining a meeting between Ullrich and a manager discussed an apprehension where Ullrich billed a suspect with 69 counts of possession of medicine paraphernaliafor extra syringe needles. When Ullrich tried to protect himself, the supervisor told him he ought to be “self-conscious.”.

“Based upon my experience representing clients in situations including Police officer Ullrich,” Davis claimed, “and thinking about the allegations, patterns, and conduct we’ve encountered, I do not believe he ought to be serving in any liaison duty– specifically one intended to sustain or promote for minority neighborhoods.”

Having actually a marked LGBTQ+ intermediary for a cops department is seen as one of one of the most effective methods to fix law enforcement’s connections to the queer neighborhood, a previous federal guide to best practices for developing such a role said. (The government website obtained tugged during Trump’s very first 100 days in office.).

LGBTQ+ people– especially those that recognize as transgender, nonbinary, and bisexual– often face harsher and extra regular confrontations with police, a 2024 ACLU report located, contrasted to those who aren’t LGBTQ+. More likely to deal with authorities search, more likely to face apprehension, more probable to be positioned in custody. And they often tend to be much less willing to call the cops for help if required.

As a result of division policy, Ullrich wasn’t allowed to answer inquiries regarding the pending litigation or his personnel documents. And he declined to state whether he would certainly step down from the liaison function ought to the area ask him to.

A couple of weeks after the legal action’s declaring, the City launched added body webcam footage of the Conner incident and doubled down on its support of Ullrich, stating it “is devoted to defending its policemans who take part in authorized activities.”.

Liaison Role & Community

Conner initially got drawn over for getting on his phone, yet according to the legal action and body cam video of the incident, the scenario quickly escalated past what need to’ve been an instead regular stop.

A different individual entered, advising Ullrich to be careful what he states: “… if u r ever before the accused in a government case, it might return to haunt … just my piece of suggestions, been there, done that, it was not enjoyable.”.

Suits represent one side of a situation, and typically public entities don’t talk about pending lawsuits. The city is standing by Ullrich, making an uncommon step to call the most current insurance claims versus Ullrich “ridiculous” and openly critiquing the lawsuit within weeks of it being submitted.

The liaison role is a crucial reason why Covington has the ability to assert they are just one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in Kentucky. When the Human Rights Project courts exactly how encouraging cities are to queer people, they look at whether neighborhood law enforcement has a LGBTQ+ liaison or job force.

“He has the skill, motivation, discipline, and need to do this work much better than anyone else, yet his lack of perseverance and attention to detail have actually overshadowed most of his achievements this year,” they created.

Several issues regarding Ullrich’s policing didn’t make it into his data, one note indicated, with someone saying they’ve “obtained lots of issues about Policeman Ullrich’s efficiency from his fellow officers, documents staffs, criminal offense lab workers, and managers from other shifts” yet managed them throughout his shifts.

Ullrich informed Queer Kentucky he’s excited to work with the NKY Satisfaction board as one of the police department’s LGBTQ+ liaisons to help arrange this year’s occasions, work out logistics for the ceremony and address safety concerns that might come up.