Over the last three decades, the United Stated Department of Justice has crippled local law enforcement and created deadly consequences by their enactment of federal consent decrees.
Very few speak about it but the data is clear.
- 9 of the top 15 most violent cities are ran by the DOJ.
- Peer Reviewed Research Shows that over 900 more murders have occurred after DOJ involvement.
- DOJ Intervention has cost cities over a billion dollars, leading to higher crime and fewer officers.
This is a complicated issue but the recent investigation into the Phoenix Police Department has shed light on the corruption that is federal oversight of local law enforcement. Unlike every city before it, Phoenix didn’t just agree to be taken over but they asked for details of the investigation.
The DOJ refused and instead, released a summary report detailing 134 incidents where Phoenix Police allegedly violated the civil rights of citizens. Like their past reports, the details were vague but those reports have been used by the media to shame just about every agency to simply agree to federal oversight.
The Allegation
The DOJ investigation covered six years and in claiming that the Phoenix Police Department displayed a pattern and practice of civil rights allegations, the DOJ cited 134 incidents out of approximately 6,000,000 calls, and over 2,000,000 arrests handled by the Phoenix Police Department.
The US DOJ claimed that the Phoenix Police Department violated an individual’s civil rights in 0.000022% of all activity but that’s not the most atrocious part of this story.
Calling Their Bluff
The response by the Phoenix Police Department was nothing short of courageous. In response to the DOJ allegations against them, Phoenix released a website that listed every incident discussed along with all of the associated videos and reports.
For the first time, the transparency by Phoenix provided a way to analyze the DOJ investigation. Sure, the media ignored it and police leaders stayed silent but I had some free time this summer so I dove in.
From Scandal to Corruption
What I found was nothing short of corruption at one of the highest levels in our government. Watch the below video for just one example of what I found:
After reviewing each video and reading every report, it became clear that the DOJ never thought anyone would examine their investigation. They simply expected Phoenix to do what every other city has done in 30 years…accept it and take their punishment.
97% of the cases cited by the DOJ were factually inaccurate. Specifically, the incidents were classified as the following:
Could Not Be Determined (12): The Phoenix Police Department could not identify the incident with the information provided by the US DOJ.
Factually Accurate (4): The US DOJ accurately represented the incident based on a review of associated reports and video.
Factually Inaccurate (116): The US DOJ did not accurately represent the incident based on our review of associated reports and video. The following actions or combination of actions would classify an incident as inaccurate:
The game played here was pretty simple. If you want to describe police activity as unconstitutional, all you have to do is to leave out those pesky details. In fact, some of the descriptions by the DOJ were so deceptive, I thought I was reading a different incident.
What Now?
I will release a full report soon but a report isn’t good enough. The damage has been so extreme, there needs to be accountability both from the DOJ and from the silence within our profession.
Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.
