Some residents and advocacy groups are condemning the Phoenix City Council’s public pushback against the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation into the city’s Police Department.
A mother whose two sons were killed by the police said she thinks city officials would rather spend money on protecting the institution than the public. Another resident said the city only meaningfully engaged the community after the feds showed up.
Advocacy groups say residents’ complaints have fallen on deaf ears for years and that city officials have sided with the police unions over those victimized by the police.
Phoenix police’s recent report about its reform efforts underway are “attempts to discredit the DOJ findings before they come out,” said Ben Laughlin of Poder In Action, a nonprofit that seeks to “dismantle systems of oppression.”
More than two years ago, the Justice Department launched an investigation into the Phoenix Police Department. The federal agency promised to look into unconstitutional policing practices, including excessive use of force and interactions between officers and protesters, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness.