How Police Agencies Can Avoid a DOJ Investigation
For over 20 years the Department of Justice has had the ability to investigate police agencies for violating constitutional rights. The investigations begin to enforce laws like the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 , the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (“Safe Streets Act”), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VI”). The laws are intended to address systemic issues rather than individual complaints of police agencies. The DOJ can file civil lawsuits against local government in order for them to adopt reforms - which is typically done by consent decrees or memorandums of agreement - before anything is taken to trial. Out of the estimated 18,000 police agencies in the US, about 65 have been under some sort of investigation by the DOJ since the 90’s. The DOJ investigations included misconduct in numerous areas, but the main three areas were: Use of Force Stops, Searches and Arrests Discriminatory Policing Area