Prom
Backed by
The mayor of Memphis has stated that the city is not ready to commit to federal supervision of its police department. This decision comes after the Justice Department discovered instances of discrimination and excessive force by officers in the city.
Written by Emily Cochrane
Emily Cochrane, a journalist based in Nashville, has covered the incident where police officers assaulted Tyre Nichols and the impact it has had on the community in Memphis.
Authorities in Memphis restated on Thursday that the city is not prepared to immediately engage in discussions with the federal government about making major changes to the Memphis Police Department. Mayor Paul Young cautioned that entering into negotiations could lead to a lengthy and expensive bureaucratic process.
The day after the Justice Department concluded a 17-month investigation into their department, Mr. Young made remarks about the findings. The investigation found that officers in the department used excessive force illegally, unfairly targeted Black individuals, and mistreated children and those with mental health concerns.
Mr. Young and Cerelyn Davis, who is currently serving as the city’s temporary police chief, chose not to comment on the specifics of the 73-page report, stating that they are still processing the information. Despite this, Mr. Young resisted the Justice Department’s proposal for a legally binding plan for improvement, mentioning that the police department had already made changes following the incident where officers fatally assaulted Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, last year.
He mentioned that the changes already made and those that are yet to come will form a successful improvement strategy that goes beyond the bureaucratic and expensive consent decree.
Kristen Clarke, 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 uncovered in its investigation. However, the limited time remaining in President Biden’s term and the possibility of the incoming Trump administration not pursuing the case could make it difficult to proceed with a lawsuit.
The police department is showing unexpected resistance towards negotiating a consent decree, which would give federal authorities the ability to oversee their operations. This resistance is occurring as the Justice Department is rushing to complete six investigations into police behavior before Donald J. Trump takes office in January.
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website properly, make sure to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your patience as we check access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please log out and sign into your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Have you already signed up to receive content? Then please sign
Interested in accessing all the content from The Times? Subscribe now.
Prom
Index of pages on the website
Navigation to access