Federal probe exposes pattern of unconstitutional policing in Trenton
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Police officers in Trenton, New Jersey, routinely use excessive force and violate residents' civil rights during arrests and traffic stops, the Department of Justice announced in a report released Thursday.
The big picture: A yearlong federal civil rights probe identified flaws in how officers are trained and supervised in the town about an hour northeast of Philadelphia, which has paid more than $7 million since 2021 in settlements to resolve police misconduct lawsuits.
Driving the news: The report cites multiple examples of Trenton police officers engaging in unconstitutional policing practices, including conducting illegal searches and using excessive force on residents who weren't resisting arrests or didn't pose a threat.
- Trenton officials vowed to enact the DOJ's recommendations for how to better protect residents.
Catch up quick: The DOJ opened the "pattern or practice" investigation into Trenton last year.
- Federal authorities said Trenton police disbanded two street units after the probe was opened. But that "was not sufficient to end TPD's pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing."
By the numbers: Between March 2020 and December 2023, Trenton police officers reported using force during interactions with the public more than 800 times, per the report. About 15% of the instances involved the use of pepper spray.
- The report concluded that officers often resorted to "unreasonable force without giving people a chance to comply with orders."
Zoom in: Federal authorities pointed to several examples, including an elderly man who died in 2020 after police pepper-sprayed him because he wouldn't allow officers inside his home without a warrant.
- And another instance in 2022, when an officer admitted to not knowing why he handcuffed a woman suspected of buying drugs after a search of her car turned up empty.
What they're saying: New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, Philip Sellinger, said in a statement the "people of Trenton deserve nothing less than fair and constitutional policing."
- Mayor Reed Gusciora told NJ Advance Media restoring public trust in the department is "absolutely critical to the mission of TPD."