Phoenix: Police reforms prompted by DOJ probe will continue under Trump
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Phoenix says police reforms implemented and planned in response to the findings of a DOJ investigation will move forward, regardless of what happens under the Trump administration. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Regardless of what happens with the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into the Phoenix Police Department, planned reforms will continue after President-elect Trump takes office.
The big picture: Federal probes under the Biden administration into alleged civil rights abuses by a dozen cities' police departments haven't led to any reform agreements — and are unlikely to do so in Trump's second term.
- The investigations by President Biden's Justice Department came in response to allegations of systemic, unconstitutional misconduct by the police departments, such as using excessive force and discriminatory traffic enforcement.
- Such probes often lead to court-ordered consent decree agreements, which require police to impose various reforms.
Yes, but: During his campaign, Trump suggested he equates consent decrees to "defunding the police," or weakening law enforcement.
Zoom in: Phoenix PD is one of a dozen law enforcement agencies the DOJ investigated under the Biden administration.
Context: DOJ in June released the findings of a three-year investigation, concluding that Phoenix PD routinely violated constitutional rights with patterns or practices of:
- Excessive force, including unnecessary deadly force;
- Arresting people experiencing homelessness without reasonable suspicion of crimes and improperly seizing or destroying their property;
- Engaging in discriminatory enforcement against Black, Latino and Native American people;
- Violating the rights of protesters engaging in constitutionally protected speech;
- Discriminatory enforcement against people with behavioral health problems.
Catch up quick: Phoenix City Council in September approved a handful of police reforms intended to address some of the DOJ's findings. The reforms included:
- A new hotline for police misconduct;
- 24/7 dispatch coverage from the Community Assistance Program, which sends behavioral health specialists instead of police to mental health calls;
- Data collection on who is being subjected to stops, searches, arrests and use of force;
- Permanent new positions on the Office of Homeless Solutions.
What they're saying: City spokesperson Dan Wilson told Axios he didn't know what effect, if any, the incoming Trump administration would have on the federal investigation.
- But the city is committed to moving forward with the September reforms, as well as a "longer-term plan currently under development," regardless of who's in office, he said.
- The presidential administration may change, but city and police officials "remain focused on continuous improvement in our responsibility to serve and protect the community while building trust through transparent, effective, and constitutional law enforcement practices," Wilson said.
Between the lines: Some City Council members and other officials openly urged the DOJ not to impose a consent decree.
- DOJ attorneys promoted the idea for Phoenix police following the report's release.
Flashback: During Trump's first term, his administration refused to enter into any consent decrees to reform police departments, even after the 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police put pressure on law enforcement agencies.
- Trump's administration unsuccessfully sought to withdraw from consent decrees negotiated during the Obama administration, but not yet finalized, in Chicago and Baltimore.
The other side: A representative of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association couldn't be reached for comment.