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The mayor of Memphis stated that the city is not ready to comply with federal monitoring of its police department. This decision comes after the Justice Department discovered a consistent use of discrimination and excessive force by the city’s police officers.
Authored by Emily Cochr
Emily Cochrane, a journalist based in Nashville, has covered the story of Tyre Nichols being beaten by the police and the impact it has had on the city of Memphis.
Authorities in Memphis confirmed once again on Thursday that the city is not prepared to immediately engage in discussions with the federal government regarding a potential restructuring of the Memphis Police Department. Mayor Paul Young cautioned that such negotiations could be both bureaucratic and expensive.
Mr. Young made his remarks following the release of a report by the Justice Department after a 17-month investigation into the department. The report found that officers had used excessive force, unfairly targeted Black individuals, and mistreated children and individuals with mental health problems.
Mr. Young and Cerelyn Davis, the temporary police chief of the city, refused to comment on the specifics of the 73-page report, stating that they were still processing it. However, Mr. Young resisted the Justice Department’s proposal to negotiate a legally binding improvement plan, citing the changes the police department had already implemented following the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who was fatally beaten by several officers last year.
He mentioned that the upcoming changes, along with others already implemented, will create a successful improvement strategy that goes beyond a bureaucratic and expensive consent decree.
Kristen Clarke, who is the assistant attorney general for civil rights, mentioned that the Justice Department could potentially take legal action against Memphis due to the serious constitutional violations found in their investigation. However, the limited time remaining in President Biden’s term and the possibility of the incoming Trump administration not wanting to pursue the case could make it difficult to proceed with a lawsuit.
The police department is showing an unexpected reluctance to agree to a consent decree that would involve federal monitoring. This resistance is occurring as the Justice Department is rushing to complete at least six investigations into police behavior before Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as President in January.
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