Justice Department Investigations
EVIDENCE: DISCRIMINATORY POLICING PRACTICES
Since 1994, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has had the authority to review the conduct of state and local law enforcement agencies. If a pattern of suspected police misconduct becomes evident, the federal government has the authority to step in and investigate. The extent of the investigations and the manner in which finding have been dealt with has varied with each federal administration.
What prompts the Justice Department to investigate?
- A pattern or practice of abuse
- Community complaints
- Advocacy by civil rights groups
Look at this infographic. From 1995 to 2016, the Justice Department investigated 69 police departments across the country. The larger the circle, the more investigations there were in that state. (Click on the graphic to see a larger version.)
The horizontal lines at the bottom of the chart (above the year) represent the number of investigations opened in that given year. For example, in 2015, the Justice Department opened four new investigations. The numbers beside each of the allegations listed to the right indicate how many times a specific allegation was investigated in the 69 cases. More than one allegation may be included in an investigation. Sources: Justice Department officials and documentation; interviews with police and city officials and civil rights groups; news reports.
Take Notes
Using evidence from the infographic, answer these questions:
- What were the most frequent allegations?
- Do the locations of the Justice Department investigations indicate to you that the allegations were local, regional, or national in scope? How might the locations relate to what you know about population density, poverty rates, and racial demographics?
