After meeting behind closed doors to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice’s findings into Phoenix’s police department, the city released a statement to KJZZ News saying it takes the 126-page report “extremely seriously.”
Earlier this month, the DOJ announced the findings of its nearly three-year investigation into the police department. It found a “pattern or practice” that violates the Constitution and civil rights, including discriminatory policing and excessive force.
On Tuesday, Phoenix leaders met in executive session, which is closed to the public, per state law.
The city’s email to KJZZ News reads in full:
“We take the Justice Department’s report extremely seriously and are taking time to thoroughly understand its findings. We look forward to continued and collaborative discussions with the residents of Phoenix, City employees, and the DOJ in hopes of developing solutions that will work best for our community. To that end, the Mayor and City Council have asked the City Manager and the Police Chief to assess the recommended improvements.”
The DOJ’s 36 recommendations are aimed at improving policies, training, accountability and data collection.
Earlier this year, the city launched a campaign saying current and future reforms are addressing the issues. The DOJ acknowledged some changes but said the police cannot police themselves.
During its June 13 announcement, the DOJ said consent decrees, which are legally binding agreements that involve a court-ordered monitor, have historically “proven to be the kind of reform measures needed to ensure lasting and meaningful reform.”
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, a labor group representing officers and sergeants, is opposed to a consent decree and wants a less formal agreement known as a technical assistance letter, which city leaders also requested in January 2024.
When the DOJ released its findings, Darrell Kriplean, PLEA’s president, said, “This action demonstrates they are only interested in removing control of local police from the communities they serve through consent decrees that only enrich the ‘monitors’ who are generally DOJ insiders. Consent decrees have a 30-year track record of significant increases in violent crime, hundreds of millions of dollars in new unfunded costs, and a systematic destruction of police staffing and morale.”
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KJZZ's "Policing the Police" series examines the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of Phoenix by section, as well as the city's efforts to self-impose reforms. This report focuses on the finding by the DOJ that Phoenix police unlawfully restrict free speech.
