(The Center Square) – Memphis Mayor Paul Young cited costs on Thursday saying he would not enter into a consent decree with the Department of Justice over allegations of use of excessive force and discrimination against Black people.
The Justice Department released its investigation, which began in July 2023, this week.
“Our exhaustive investigation found that the Memphis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, conducting unlawful stops, searches and arrests and discriminatory policing of Black people and residents with behavioral health disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation also identified troubling policing practices that impact some of Memphis’ most vulnerable residents – its children.”
The Memphis Police Department and the city cooperated with the investigation and the city takes the findings seriously, Young said.
“It’s crucial that the city has the time to do a thorough review and respond to the findings before agreeing to anything that could become a long-term financial burden to our resident and would in fact actually slow down our ongoing efforts to continuously improve our police department,” Young said.
Young said a similar consent decree in Chicago cost the city more than $500 million and Seattle spent $200 million.
“In some of these cities crime has actually increased under a consent decree and we can’t take that risk here,” Young said.
The Justice Department said when it works with cities, the costs for police reform decrease.
“Achieving meaningful constitutional policing reform costs time and resources,” Clarke said. “But not implementing systemic reforms also imposes enormous costs – cost in terms of citizens’ rights that are trampled, personal and financial costs in injuries and deaths due to excessive, unnecessary use of force, costs in diminished public safety and millions of dollars in legal judgments against the city due to constitutional violations.”
