Summary
This report makes the Division’s police reform work more accessible and transparent. The usual course of a pattern-or-practice case, with examples and explanations for why the Division approaches this work the way it does, is set forth in this report.
Contents
I. INTRODUCTION. --
II. BACKGROUND – THE HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF SECTION 14141. --
III. INITIATING A PATTERN-OR-PRACTICE INVESTIGATION. --
Identifying the Need for a Pattern-or-Practice Investigation. --
Prioritizing Among Viable Pattern-or-Practice Investigations Across the United States. --
IV. CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. --
The Role of Policing Experts in Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
The Role of Data Analysis in Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
The Role of the Law Enforcement Agency in Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
The Role of the Community in Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
The Role of United States Attorney’s Offices in Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
The Length of Pattern-or-Practice Investigations. --
Concluding a Pattern-or-Practice Investigation. --
V. NEGOTIATING REFORM AGREEMENTS. --
VI. THE CURRENT REFORM MODEL AND ITS RATIONALE. --
A) The Structure of the Division’s Police Reform Agreements. --
Court-Enforceable Consent Decrees. --
An Independent Monitoring Team. --
Outcome Measures to Assess Progress. --
B) The Substance of the Division’s Police Reform Agreements. --
Advancing a Community and Problem-Oriented Policing Strategy. --
Promoting Bias-Free Policing. --
Use of Force Principles. --
Community Engagement. --
Departmental Policy Changes and Re-training. --
Reforming Accountability Systems. --
Officer Wellness and Support. --
Recognizing the Link Between Policing and Other Criminal Justice and Social Systems. --
VII. CONCLUDING THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION’S POLICE REFORM AGREEMENTS. --
VIII. CONCLUSION: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PATTERN-OR-PRACTICE ENFORCEMENT ON POLICE REFORM.