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BOSTON, April 13 (Reuters) – The city of Springfield, Massachusetts has agreed to carry out reforms to resolve claims that its narcotics officers routinely used excessive force, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday, in the first settlement of its type under President Joe Biden.
A Justice Department investigation found that officers in the Springfield Police Department’s now-disbanded Narcotics Bureau engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, routinely punching people in the face and often facing no discipline.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the consent decree would help restore public trust in the city’s police and stressed that the Justice Department is pursuing similar probes in cities including Minneapolis, Louisville and Phoenix.
While consent decrees had long been used to overhaul police departments, the Justice Department announced no new ones during Trump’s four years in office. The since-rescinded 2018 memo by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions curtailed their use.
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Article URL : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/massachusetts-city-agrees-with-us-justice-department-reform-police-2022-04-13/