Dec 22, 2024 Story by: Editor
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) addressed concerns from Memphians following a critical report that called for significant changes within the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
The primary focus was on the next steps and how the DOJ’s investigation would affect the city. Nearly 400 attendees participated, all seeking clarity on the proposed reforms.
“One general question we are seeing a lot here is how much will reform cost the City of Memphis,” said Kit Reese from the Civil Rights Division.
This was the first question posed to the DOJ attorneys during the meeting. The inquiry came after the Justice Department recommended substantial changes within the MPD.
“We want to be clear, there is a cost for constitutional policing, particularly in places with systemic issues,” Maureen Johnston from the Civil Rights Division explained.
Johnston emphasized that the cost of reforming the MPD would depend on several factors, such as the specifics of the changes and the time it takes to implement them. She also noted that the DOJ would be covering the costs of their own experts once the reform process begins.
“We include provisions in our agreements to help manage costs,” Johnston continued. “For example, we impose caps on the fees that monitors can charge to provide essential independent oversight.”
The DOJ also provided examples of alleged misconduct within the MPD. Suraj Kumar from the Civil Rights Division highlighted a complaint where a woman described feeling “as if I were not a citizen of the USA.”
The DOJ’s investigation revealed that the MPD had a deficient accountability system, which led to repeated misconduct by officers.
“This lack of accountability has allowed officers to engage in repeated misconduct,” Kumar explained.
When asked about the involvement of young people in the investigation, WREG was directed to review the report. While the DOJ didn’t provide an exact number of cases involving minors, a graph revealed a disproportionate number of arrests of Black youth. Between January 2018 and August 2023, MPD arrested 180 Black juveniles for loitering or curfew violations, compared to only four white juveniles.
“There was a question about what collaboration might look like,” Kumar said. The DOJ emphasized that collaboration would first involve negotiating a reform agreement.
Although the city rejected the initial consent decree, the DOJ stressed the importance of continuing discussions for future collaboration as both parties work toward reform.
“What’s needed here are changes outlined in the report to ensure officers are adhering to the law and serving the community,” Kumar stated.
The DOJ confirmed that Monday’s meeting would not be the last. Physical meetings will be held starting next Wednesday at the National Civil Rights Museum. More details about these upcoming sessions will be provided when available. Image Source: News Channel 3 WREG
