The head of the Louisville Metro Police union said Friday that the department's new traffic stop policies will endanger officers and keep them from catching criminals.

Nikolai Jilek, president of River City Lodge 616, said he was not consulted about the changes and called them "knee-jerk" measures that will "impede our safety and our work."

Without mentioning Chief Steve Conrad by name, Jilek said the policies were written "by people who have never policed or who have forgotten" about how quickly situations change on the streets.

Jilek spoke to reporters in front of the police memorial in downtown's Jefferson Square, where he warned the policy changes could cost officers their lives.

Conrad said earlier Friday that officers will continue to make traffic stops in high crime areas but that they must be based on a “reasonable belief” that the motorist has, is or is about to commit a crime.

The changes, which go into effect Aug. 1, say removing motorists from cars, patting them down and handcuffing them should not be employed “as a matter of routine” and should only be done based on factors that include the motorist’s behavior, size and history of assaulting officers or fleeing.

Jilek objected to requiring that officers consider a subject's size, saying "just because someone is smaller doesn't mean they aren't dangerous."

He said another change — that "generally only two units should respond to a traffic stop" because "having too many officers on-scene can cause undo public concern" — also puts officers at risk.

He also said officers are less likely to find contraband if drivers and passengers are allowed to remain in their vehicles, possibly obscuring drugs or firearms.

"Do they want me out catching bad guys or not inconveniencing anyone?" he asked.

He said he hopes to talk to Conrad about finding a "middle ground" before the changes go into effect.

At his own news conference, Conrad told reporters the department will continue to focus on the most dangerous neighborhoods, even though the policy bars officers from pulling motorists from cars or handcuffing them based solely on their being in a high crime area.

The revised policy was unveiled to officers about a month after the Courier Journal documented an incident in which 18-year-old Tae-Ahn Lea was stopped after making a wide turn in a West End neighborhood, then pulled from his car and handcuffed while the vehicle was searched by a police dog and officers. No contraband was found.

Asked if the policy was revised because of that stop, which was condemned by Metro Council members and civil rights leaders, Conrad said: “The changes are not about a single stop. This has been building for some time.”

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Conrad said Mayor Greg Fischer did not order him to change the policy, but the chief said he briefed the mayor on the revisions. He said he hasn’t discussed them with Metro Council leaders, including President David James, a former police officer who said last month that he might ask Fischer to hire a new chief if Conrad doesn’t abandon the strategy of conducting stops in high crime areas.

"I’m proud of the work Chief Conrad has done on the new policy, it’s a step in the right direction," James told the Courier Journal in an email Saturday morning. "However the policy doesn’t address the desperate impact of hyper policing in west Louisville. It doesn’t speak to laser focusing LMPD on the criminal element through intelligence lead policing. "

Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, who denounced Lea’s stop, said: “We appreciate LMPD not only hearing the community but also attempting to be responsive. This may be the beginning of a culture shift that needs to take place in departments across the country, and we are happy to help Louisville lead.”

Lea’s mother, Tija Jackson, also praised the new rules.

Fischer said in a recorded statement that the revisions are not meant to end traffic stops in appropriate situations and that such stops can be an effective tool.

"As the chief has said, the changes aim to strike a balance between residents' concerns about traffic stops and the need for our police officers to perform the vital work of keeping our city safe," Fischer said.

He added that the revisions should prove that police "take community concerns seriously and they're serious about building community trust."

Conrad commended officers for helping reduce violent crime and homicides last year but said the department have work to do in building trust “with the people we are sworn to protect.”

The new policy also will require officers to record on their body cameras if a motorist consents to a search of their vehicle and to advise them that they are free to refuse one.

It also says that a lieutenant must review video of any stop in which probable cause for a search is found by a police dog “alerting” that contraband is inside the car. Several experts who reviewed video of Lea’s stop, in which a canine officer said his dog indicated, said they did not see that occur.

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Conrad said he didn’t know if the new policies will reduce the number of traffic stops or their duration.

After the news conference, police spokeswoman Jessie Halladay said that investigatory stops should be based on “more than a minor infraction.”

Conrad said he learned about Lea’s stop in February and initiated a Professional Standards Unit investigation that is pending.

Darcy Costello contributed to this report.

Andrew Wolfson: 502-582-7189; awolfson@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @adwolfson. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/andreww.