Phoenix has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to end its two-year civil rights investigation of the city’s police department through an agreement in which it would take recommendations for changes from the federal agency but wouldn’t be subject to costly court supervision.

The investigation that began in August 2021 is examining whether Phoenix officers used excessive force, engaged in discriminatory policing practices, seized and disposed of the belongings of homeless people and violated the rights of people who are disabled, including whether decisions to criminally detain people with mental disabilities are proper. The Justice Department also investigated whether officers retaliated against people participating in protests.

Jared Keenan, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said the city’s request to resolve the investigation through a “technical assistance letter” — rather than through a lawsuit that could lead to court supervision and the appointment of a court monitor — is a public relations move intended to shape impressions of the investigation before the Justice Department releases its findings.

“There is a concerted effort by city officials and also the police union to create this false narrative that the DOJ report shouldn’t be trusted and that they need to see the findings before they can negotiate in good faith,” Keenan said.

  • @800XL
    link
    211 months ago

    These cops remind me of this cop that used to harass us as kids at the local park.

    More than two kids in a group were planning bank robbery levels of orgenized crime. Walking away when he showed up to harass us meant we were going to smoke the “devil’s lettuce”. If you mouthed off he’d take out his night stick, do some nightstick-kata to let you know he meant business, and come at you.

    Long story short - that cop was so tightly butted the apocryphal tall tale was that at Christmas, Santa put him on the naughty list every year. Pissed off that he only got coal in his stocking he’d had enough.

    His fragile cop ego was bruised. Since he couldn’t very well beat Santa with his nightstick. he shoved all that coal up his ass instead. He was so tight butted you see, the immense pressure in there would turn those lumps of coal into diamonds and the worth of them would be way greater than anything Santa would give him. He’d get the last laugh.

    But he didn’t kill anyone.