PHOENIX — Phoenix has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to end its two-year civil rights investigation of the city’s police department through an agreement in which it would take recommendations for changes from the federal agency but wouldn’t be subject to costly court supervision.
The city made the request Thursday in a letter to the Justice Department, complaining that the federal agency won’t share a report on its investigative findings prior to its public release. Local officials also released a report that highlights changes that the department has made over the last decade.
“These changes demonstrate a powerful commitment to reform, a commitment that warrants a different approach from the DOJ than has been the case over the past dozen years,” wrote Michael Bromwich, an attorney representing the city who previously worked as an inspector general for the Justice Department.
The investigation that began in August 2021 is examining whether Phoenix officers used excessive force, engaged in discriminatory policing practices, seized and disposed of the belongings of homeless people and violated the rights of people who are disabled, including whether decisions to criminally detain people with mental disabilities are proper. The Justice Department also investigated whether officers retaliated against people participating in protests.
The Justice Department declined to comment Thursday on the city’s request. It also would not say when its investigation of Phoenix police was expected to conclude or whether it plans to file a lawsuit against Phoenix.
The police force in Phoenix has been criticized in recent years for its treatment of protesters in 2020, as well as the deaths of people who were restrained by officers, and a high number of shootings by officers.
Jared Keenan, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said the city’s request to resolve the investigation through a “technical assistance letter” — rather than…
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