Louisville Metro government and the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to a legally binding deal to reform the city's police department, which federal investigators have accused of illegal and unconstitutional practices.

Mayor Craig Greenberg's administration expects the agreement -- called a consent decree -- will be approved by a federal judge, starting a process city officials hope will be completed in less than five years . An independent monitor who reports to the court will oversee the police department's progress, WDRB reports.

The 248-page agreement comes after months of negotiations that began after the DOJ concluded in 2023 that Louisville police and Metro government for years engaged in practices that violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law, including excessive use of force and searches based on invalid warrants.

Greenberg, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey announced the agreement at Metro Hall Thursday morning. The mayor hailed it as a "historic" pact that will "build upon and accelerate" police reforms that already have begun.