DOJ to set new rules for federal police department monitors

The big picture: If the investigations show that those city police departments engaged in patterns of discrimination or excessive force, the federal government could intervene with a consent decree that sets out reforms to follow, according to The Washington Post.

• Such monitoring has in the past drawn complaints for being costly and time-consuming, writes the Post.
• Garland said the Justice Department intends to adopt 19 steps to increase the "efficiency and efficacy" of the consent decrees and monitorships.
• The steps include budget caps to contain costs, barring monitors from serving more than one jurisdiction at a time, and term limits.