Justice Department Backs Away from Cases Against Police Departments in Minneapolis and Louisville
The Justice Department is backing away from cases against police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, reversing course on the use of consent decrees to help ensure accountability for law enforcement agencies.
Key Points
- Justice Department is retracting findings of constitutional violations and closing investigations in Minneapolis and Louisville
- Focus on existing court-ordered regimens and voluntary hiring of monitors for police reform
- Reviewing all pending oversight agreements to determine their necessity
Pros
- Ending the micromanagement of local police departments with potentially costly consent decrees
- Belief in existing court-ordered regimens being sufficient for accountability
- Voluntary hiring of monitors by cities like Louisville for police practice improvements
Cons
- Criticism from civil rights advocates for dropping investigations into unconstitutional policing
- Concerns about erasing truth and contradicting principles of justice