On June 13, the U.S. Department of Justice released a long-anticipated report on its investigation into the city of Phoenix and its Police Department.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division laid out the results of the 126-page report after a nearly three-year investigation.
"Based on a comprehensive review, we find that there is reasonable cause to believe that the police department and the city engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. We have also identified violations of the Safe Streets Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act," Clarke said in a video announcement on June 13.
The report outlined five main findings, saying Phoenix police:
- Use excessive force, including unjustified deadly force.
- Unlawfully arrest people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully dispose of their belongings.
- Discriminate against people of color.
- Violate the rights of protesters.
- Discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities.
Thus far, reaction from the majority of Phoenix City Council has been muted. Police union officials categorically denied those allegations.
In this episode of The Gaggle, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl sit down with The Republic's criminal justice reporter Miguel Torres and Phoenix reporter Taylor Seely to dig further into the report and what the political reaction has been so far.
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Contact the producer at kaely.monahan@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @KaelyMonahan.