SPLC statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions' order to review all police reform agreements
By ordering the Justice Department to review all of its consent decrees with law enforcement agencies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is illustrating exactly why we and other civil rights groups strongly opposed his confirmation.
These agreements are the results of extensive DOJ investigations that uncovered broad civil rights violations and deeply rooted institutional racism.
In the last several years, the DOJ has served as an important catalyst for reforming the kind of discriminatory – and often deadly – policing practices we’ve seen in Ferguson, Baltimore and elsewhere. Now, Sessions seems determined to undermine this work.
Fortunately, many law enforcement leaders in the affected communities know that changes are needed to better ensure public safety, fairness and accountability. If Sessions doesn’t want to be part of the solution, he should at least step aside and let others lead the way.
Cover image: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
