The Brief
- The city of Antioch and civil rights attorney John Burris on Friday announced the settlement of long-standing police abuse cases involving 23 people and 45 police officers and three former police chiefs.
- The settlement is not for any money, but establishes police reforms.
- Reforms include more training, stricter oversight, the establishment of an independent review board to assess complaints and an independent monitor to oversee the enforcement of the agreement.
ANTIOCH, Calif. – The city of Antioch and civil rights attorney John Burris on Friday announced the settlement of long-standing police abuse cases involving 23 people and 45 police officers and three former police chiefs.
Burris, who plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. with Antioch City Manager Bessie Scott, said 23 people came to his office hoping to be awarded money stemming from their allegations, but he said this new non-monetary settlement in the Trent Allen v. Antioch case, does more than that: it addresses “persistent issues of police misconduct within the Antioch Police Department.”
Settlement calls for reforms
The allegations against police, Burris said, include physical and canine abuse, widespread use of racial, homophobic, gender, and ethnic slurs, lack of supervision, poor discipline, and a lack of accountability.
This new 55-page settlement, which was crafted with the help of federal Magistrate Laura Beeler, establishes and enforces “policies and procedures to ensure accountability among Antioch police officers,” Burris said.…