Every police department under consent decree has experienced a massive loss of police personnel . Make no mistake , officers do not fear oversight . But they leave because they cannot fulfill their calling with two hands tied behind their back . Can we risk having less officers protecting our residents without proof ?
Approximately 125 incidents are listed in the DOJ findings report . By design , no context or methodology was provided so we are left with more questions than answers .
Minor traffic violations : How many citations or arrests ? Where were the stops ? What are the demographics for the area where the stop occurred ? What time of day ?
Officers cannot arrest for minor traffic violations ( as implied by the DOJ report ). When an arrest occurs after a minor traffic violation , why was there an arrest ?
“ In one incident ”: This seems to be a common theme in their report . Why not provide the incident so those making decisions can see the totality of circumstances ? The report leads the reader to believe that incidents of excessive force are regularly approved through the chain of command ' s review . This is insulting and should be questioned . There must be more to the story . Ask questions about each individual incident they describe and get full context .
Public property : When describing the unhoused , the findings report only states that individuals were contacted on “ public property .” Define public property . Where ? It is a violation to remain at a bus stop if not using public transportation . It is a violation to be in a park after hours . Both are still considered to be public property . To suggest that officers cannot contact individuals and request identification is a gross mischaracterization of the truth and the law .
DOJ investigators suggest that police use “ false , misleading and inflammatory ” language in their reports . I submit that the DOJ has used “ false , misleading and inflammatory ” language in its report . In addition , DOJ investigators state that police “ investigators also skip key investigative steps , such as speaking to all witnesses , reviewing all evidence , or identifying all allegations .” It appears DOJ investigators have mastered this art .
The only “ pattern or practice ” we have discovered is that of the DOJ . Sadly , every department the DOJ has investigated and placed under consent decree has experienced the same results . The end was known from the beginning .
Before we spend hundreds of millions of dollars , risk higher crime , and lose more officers , ask questions and ask for proof of each allegation . If the DOJ is confident in its findings report , proving it with substance should never be an issue for the highest law enforcement agency in the country .
• This investigation reviewed 8 years of incidents . They list 125 incidents . On average , Phoenix Police officers respond to approximately 700,000 calls for service . What is the percentage of incidents listed compared to the volume of calls dispatched over the course of eight years ? ( In eight years , officers were dispatched to approximately 5.6 million calls for service — how does this constitute a “ pattern or practice ”?)
• DOJ failed to provide the incident number , full context , Incident Report , Body Worn Camera ( BWC ), Use of Force report , PSB report , or any supporting documentation to support its version of events .
• The report disparages the fact that the Department must advise anyone making a complaint about an officer is subject to potential criminal charges . The report does not inform the reader this is due to state law .
• The report implies that the Department does not use de-escalation techniques but rather escalates events more times than not . This is absurd and contrary to what the Attorney General under the Obama Administration said about our training . In 2016 , Attorney General Loretta Lynch praised the Phoenix Police Department for their de-escalation training and referred to is as “ best practices .”
• The report states that police target minorities ( African American , Hispanic , and Native American ) more often than white residents . The four minor traffic violations listed in the report include :
• Tinted windows
• Squealing tires
• No license plate light
• Broken taillight
The number of these citations being issued must be a small number of total citations issued ( the DOJ report only uses percentages to exaggerate / inflate their position ). The smaller the number of citations , the greater the percentage change . Where were the citations issued ? What is the demographic for these locations ? What time of day ? Being cited for no license plate light would lead you to believe it was dark outside and thus can you really see the occupant , especially with tinted windows ?
• The report concludes that officers enforce “ window tint ” 14 times more often in minority neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods . And again , if the tint is so dark and is a violation of traffic laws , how does an officer see what an individual ’ s race is while driving a vehicle ?
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