Justice Department's dismissal of police reform lawsuits raises concerns over federal oversight
Shreeaa Rathi | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 28, 2025, 21:22 IST
( Image credit : AP, TOIGLOBAL )
In a significant shift, the Justice Department has moved away from police reform agreements in cities such as Minneapolis and Louisville, following the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. While some mayors are committed to continuing reform efforts, others are advocating for local governance over policing.
The Justice Department's decision to dismiss lawsuits and accountability agreements with several police departments, initiated under the Trump administration, has sparked debate about federal oversight of law enforcement. This move, impacting cities like Minneapolis, Louisville, Phoenix, and others, follows a wave of investigations launched after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020. While some officials like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg pledge to continue reform efforts, others, such as Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, advocate for local control. The effectiveness of consent decrees, a tool used to enforce police reforms, remains a point of contention, with examples like Los Angeles showing mixed results despite past agreements.
The Trump administration's decision to dismiss lawsuits and drop accountability agreements with several police departments could potentially reverse progress made in curbing excessive use of force. Michael Gennaco, a former federal prosecutor, stated that “Having a blueprint for reform is one thing, but ensuring objective oversight is a whole other thing.”
The Justice Department announced it would drop proposed consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, and end investigations into police departments in Phoenix; Trenton, New Jersey; Memphis, Tennessee; Mount Vernon, New York; and Oklahoma City; as well as into the Louisiana State Police. These actions follow the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, which triggered nationwide protests and subsequent investigations under U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during the Biden administration.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement Wednesday that the consent decrees were “overbroad,” “factually unjustified” and based on “an anti-police agenda.”
The Minneapolis consent decree, a court-enforced improvement plan, was reached after George Floyd's death. Floyd, unarmed, died when police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes. The Louisville agreement followed the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police officers in her home.
The decision to abandon these agreements could negatively impact ongoing reform efforts in cities like Baltimore, Cleveland, and Ferguson, Missouri. In Ferguson, the agreement required more training for police officers, policy changes to decrease the use of force and a more robust system for citizens to make complaints against officers. It also required that the mostly white police department do more to recruit people of color.
Jin Hee Lee with the Legal Defense Fund said, “It is important to not overstate what consent decrees do,” referring to the power of federal courts to enforce orders.
She added, “They are very important and oftentimes necessary to force police departments to change their policies, to change their practices,” and “But consent decrees were never the end all, be all.”
The Chicago Police Department, which entered into a consent decree in 2019 managed by the state attorney general, will not be affected by the federal government’s announcement. Consent decrees, dating back to President Bill Clinton’s 1994 crime bill, are implemented after investigations into civil rights violations or unconstitutional practices, focusing on policing cultures and policies.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters his city will “comply with every sentence, of every paragraph, of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said his city is adopting a police reform agreement that will include many of the goals from its federal consent decree, like hiring an independent monitor to oversee the department’s progress.
Supporters of local control argue that communities are better positioned to manage their own law enforcement agencies. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who refused to comply with Garland’s consent decree following a 2024 report, stated she would continue to pursue local reforms.
She has argued that it would be irresponsible to sign a contract without first evaluating it and has questioned the Justice Department’s ability to improve local police forces.
According to a 126-page report, the Phoenix Police Department routinely committed “very significant and severe violations of federal law and the Constitution” and lacked accountability, supervision and training. The DOJ's concerns included racial discrimination and reckless use of force, leading to 36 recommendations, such as improved use-of-force training and new policies for encounters with vulnerable populations.
Gallego and several council members opposed the agreement, calling the accusations unsubstantiated and others asking for a full review before adopting it. The city has since implemented a new use-of-force policy, developed new emergency training materials, and assembled a civilian review board.
“We will continue to look for every opportunity to make sure we’re serving our residents in the best way possible,” Gallego said in a statement.
She also stated, “I said many times that we would adopt reforms and see them through, regardless of the DOJ investigation, and I meant it.”
Consent decrees have shown varying degrees of success. In Los Angeles, which exited its 12-year agreement in 2013, the police department continues to face excessive-use allegations and lawsuits. Several students from the University of California, Los Angeles, sued the LAPD, alleging assault, battery and other violations by officers during campus protests last year. The students claimed they were shot by rubber bullets and subjected to unnecessary force at a pro-Palestinian encampment.
A spokesperson for the union representing police officers has called the allegations baseless and inflammatory.
In Baltimore, where the police department entered into a consent decree following the 2015 killing of Freddie Gray, reform efforts are ongoing. The force is currently in the “assessment” phase of its agreement, and the DOJ applauded its progress in December, leading to a partial termination of the agreement.
The Trump administration's decision to dismiss lawsuits and drop accountability agreements with several police departments could potentially reverse progress made in curbing excessive use of force. Michael Gennaco, a former federal prosecutor, stated that “Having a blueprint for reform is one thing, but ensuring objective oversight is a whole other thing.”
The Justice Department announced it would drop proposed consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, and end investigations into police departments in Phoenix; Trenton, New Jersey; Memphis, Tennessee; Mount Vernon, New York; and Oklahoma City; as well as into the Louisiana State Police. These actions follow the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, which triggered nationwide protests and subsequent investigations under U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during the Biden administration.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement Wednesday that the consent decrees were “overbroad,” “factually unjustified” and based on “an anti-police agenda.”
The Minneapolis consent decree, a court-enforced improvement plan, was reached after George Floyd's death. Floyd, unarmed, died when police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes. The Louisville agreement followed the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police officers in her home.
The decision to abandon these agreements could negatively impact ongoing reform efforts in cities like Baltimore, Cleveland, and Ferguson, Missouri. In Ferguson, the agreement required more training for police officers, policy changes to decrease the use of force and a more robust system for citizens to make complaints against officers. It also required that the mostly white police department do more to recruit people of color.
Jin Hee Lee with the Legal Defense Fund said, “It is important to not overstate what consent decrees do,” referring to the power of federal courts to enforce orders.
She added, “They are very important and oftentimes necessary to force police departments to change their policies, to change their practices,” and “But consent decrees were never the end all, be all.”
The Chicago Police Department, which entered into a consent decree in 2019 managed by the state attorney general, will not be affected by the federal government’s announcement. Consent decrees, dating back to President Bill Clinton’s 1994 crime bill, are implemented after investigations into civil rights violations or unconstitutional practices, focusing on policing cultures and policies.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters his city will “comply with every sentence, of every paragraph, of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said his city is adopting a police reform agreement that will include many of the goals from its federal consent decree, like hiring an independent monitor to oversee the department’s progress.
Supporters of local control argue that communities are better positioned to manage their own law enforcement agencies. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who refused to comply with Garland’s consent decree following a 2024 report, stated she would continue to pursue local reforms.
She has argued that it would be irresponsible to sign a contract without first evaluating it and has questioned the Justice Department’s ability to improve local police forces.
According to a 126-page report, the Phoenix Police Department routinely committed “very significant and severe violations of federal law and the Constitution” and lacked accountability, supervision and training. The DOJ's concerns included racial discrimination and reckless use of force, leading to 36 recommendations, such as improved use-of-force training and new policies for encounters with vulnerable populations.
Gallego and several council members opposed the agreement, calling the accusations unsubstantiated and others asking for a full review before adopting it. The city has since implemented a new use-of-force policy, developed new emergency training materials, and assembled a civilian review board.
“We will continue to look for every opportunity to make sure we’re serving our residents in the best way possible,” Gallego said in a statement.
She also stated, “I said many times that we would adopt reforms and see them through, regardless of the DOJ investigation, and I meant it.”
Consent decrees have shown varying degrees of success. In Los Angeles, which exited its 12-year agreement in 2013, the police department continues to face excessive-use allegations and lawsuits. Several students from the University of California, Los Angeles, sued the LAPD, alleging assault, battery and other violations by officers during campus protests last year. The students claimed they were shot by rubber bullets and subjected to unnecessary force at a pro-Palestinian encampment.
A spokesperson for the union representing police officers has called the allegations baseless and inflammatory.
In Baltimore, where the police department entered into a consent decree following the 2015 killing of Freddie Gray, reform efforts are ongoing. The force is currently in the “assessment” phase of its agreement, and the DOJ applauded its progress in December, leading to a partial termination of the agreement.