DOJ: MPD disproportionately arrested black youth for loitering, curfew violations
by: Brian Didlake
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Department of Justice answered questions from Memphians after a scathing report called for changes within the Memphis Police Department.
The main topic during Monday’s meeting was what’s next and what will the impact of the DOJ’s investigation have on the city.
“One general question we are seeing a lot here is how much will reform cost the City of Memphis,” Kit Reese with the Civil Rights Division said.
It was the first question asked of the DOJ’s attorneys at the virtual meeting.
The crowd of nearly 400 were all looking for answers after the Justice Department recommended major reform within the MPD. Their questions had to be typed in the Zoom chat.
“I want to be clear, there is a cost for constitutional policing, particularly in a place where there are systemic problems,” Maureen Johnston with the Civil Rights Division said.
Johnston said a dollar amount on reforming the MPD depends on a number of factors like the details of the reform and the time that it takes for the city to start implementing changes.
Johnston said the DOJ would be paying for their own experts once changes begin.
“We also include elements in our agreements to control the costs,” Johnston said. “So for example, we have caps on the amount of money that monitors can charge to provide the independent – the really essential independent oversight.”
“The woman wrote in her complaint, ‘I felt as if I were not a citizen of the USA,” Suraj Kumar with the Civil Rights Division said.
The DOJ provided examples of where the MPD had committed alleged misconduct. The team said they did look into internal affairs during their investigation.
“This deficient accountability system results in officers engaging in repeated misconduct,” Kumar said.
WREG was directed to look at the report after asking how many cases that were looked into involved young people.
We saw no exact number as requested but saw a graph that showed officers disproportionately arrested Black youth.
From January 2018 through August 2023, MPD arrested 180 Black juveniles for loitering or curfew violations as compared to just four white juveniles.
“There was a question about what collaboration might look like,” Kumar said.
The team of attorneys said first that means negotiating a reform agreement.
The city already denied the initial consent decree but the DOJ said any collaboration talks will need to continue as both the city and DOJ look to move forward.
“What’s needed here are changes that we’ve begun to outline in the report to make sure the officers are adhering to the law and serving the community,” Kumar said.
The DOJ said that Monday will not be the last meeting.
Attorneys are set to have physical meetings starting next Wednesday at the National Civil Rights Museum.
We will let you know more information about that meeting when it becomes available.
About Post Author
