Cleveland to continue police reform efforts despite US memo

He said comments from Trump and Sessions have led many to believe they are “anti-Civil Rights and anti-quality”. And he doesn’t issue modest orders.

The new Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to stop doing a lot of that digging.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to revisit deals the Department of Justice has made with police departments accused of excessive force.

Its release was met with sharp rebukes from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of OH, which strongly encourages police reform efforts.

INSKEEP: OK, Carrie. Thanks very much as always. The department has already warned it could slash grant funds to jurisdictions that call themselves “sanctuaries” from federal immigration agents. FILE – In this August 10, 2016, file photo, police Commissioner Kevin Davis, left, listens as Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake speaks during a news conference at City Hall in response to a Justice Departme. They looked at some of the technology needs of the police department, the lack of body cameras, the lack of straps inside of vans.

The Baltimore Police Department announced it had worked out a tentative consent decree with the Justice Department just days before Trump took office.

The hearing had been scheduled since mid-February. Now all of this is being delayed.

“We can only speak for our intentions, we can’t speak for the federal government”. “I can’t imagine a single federal judge overseeing a consent decree saying, ‘Oh, we’re done.’ That judge has a duty and an obligation”.

The Justice Department on Monday filed a motion with a judge seeking a delay before putting in place a consent decree that would mandate reforms.

Without these reports, deep structural racism and classism will continue to thrive unchecked, continuing to sow a deep mistrust between police and the Black and Brown communities.

CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE: Well, Attorney General Jeff Sessions says it’s not the federal government’s job to manage state and local law enforcement agencies.

In a few cases, including Detroit and Cincinnati, local officials requested federal investigations, either after a public outcry or newspaper exposed systemic problems.

“Our concerns for the unfair, politically motivated and life threatening characterizations of law Enforcement by the Obama Administration were not unique to Cleveland or the CPPA”, Loomis said in a text message Tuesday.

The Justice Department’s request to postpone the hearing was met with fierce opposition from city officials, including Mayor Catherine Pugh and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who both vowed that they will press on with police reform regardless of what happens with the consent decree. “To suggest that the government should just leave it to local police departments is just frightening”. The agreements, which cover major cities such as Chicago and Baltimore, are meant to address decades of frayed relations between officers and the communities they ostensibly serve after high-profile incidents of police violence.

The issue of race and policing has not gone away.

Young said he was “really happy” about the ruling, but not surprised the Trump administration had lost an argument in court.

In January, the outgoing administration agreed to a decree with Baltimore. It talks about the need for better training. A scathing report identified a “culture of aggression” and faulted police for using unreasonable force with the mentally ill. Washington isn’t going to bother you about it anymore. I know that we’re now – you’re asking about the FOP – we’re now in negotiations with the FOP around some of the issues related to.

“I think there might be a little hyperbole right now”. The changes will probably focus a bit less on reasoning with potentially violent mobs in the streets and getting some better armor and equipment. I have a great relationship with our police commissioner. Pugh objected to the delay imposed by the memo, adding that it “may have the effect of eroding the trust that we are working hard to establish”.