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.”
-
The city of Tempe is considering an ordinance that would limit the use of automatic license plate readers. The proposal would also destroy all its existing ALPR data and penalize city staff for violations. -
A federal judge overseeing a long running racial profiling case against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office denied a request on Thursday to end oversight of the agency. -
The grand jury indictments of Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr. list the same charges previously filed in direct complaints by prosecutors. -
Back in January, federal immigration agents raided each of the 14 Zipps Sports Grill locations across metro Phoenix. They were looking for undocumented workers and ended up arresting dozens of them. -
Right in the middle of Phoenix, there is a temporary holding facility where detainees are being held much longer than they are supposed to be and ICE agents have called 911 multiple times.
