Bias, excessive force: DOJ probes Phoenix police
- DOJ says Phoenix police use racist, discriminatory practices
- Department accused of illegally targeted people experiencing homelessness
- Investigation one of 11 nationwide since 2021
FILE – Phoenix Police officers watch protesters rally on June 2, 2020, in Phoenix during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed into law a measure that makes it illegal to knowingly record video of police officers within 8 feet (2.5 meters) or closer without an officer’s permission, spurring concerns among civil rights activists about transparency and accountability. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
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(NewsNation) — The Phoenix Police Department has historically used unjustified, deadly uses of force, discriminated against Black, Hispanic and Native American civilians and repeatedly targeted people experiencing homelessness, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) report detailing the department’s alleged violations of people’s civil rights.
The report lays out findings that the City of Phoenix and its police department target people experiencing homelessness, retaliates against people who criticize the police, and disproportionately uses force against people with behavioral health disabilities.
In the years leading up to the investigation, Phoenix police officers shot and killed people at one of the highest rates in the country. Some city officials blamed a “more violent population” for the number of shootings rather than police conduct, but many of those shootings violated the Constitution, according to the report.
The Justice Department underscored officers’ use of excessive and unjustified deadly force, as well as efforts that targeted people experiencing homelessness.
The City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department are specifically accused of illegally detaining, citing and arresting people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully throwing away their belongings.
Officers also used indiscriminate force against protesters, falsified allegations against protest leaders, and retaliated against people critical of the police, according to the DOJ.
Investigators similarly described concerning police action toward children and people with disabilities, noting the department relies on tactics that are “dangerous,” “unnecessary” and “unreasonable.”
“Rather than teaching that de-escalation strategies are designed to eliminate or reduce the need to use force, PhxPD has misappropriated the concept and teaches officers that all force — even deadly force — is de-escalation,” the report stated.
Officers also “act on the assumption that people with disabilities are dangerous and rarely modify their approach,” according to the report.
“Our comprehensive investigation revealed unlawful and unconstitutional practices in the Phoenix Police Department’s enforcement activities that impact some of Phoenix’s most vulnerable residents, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, homeless people, and those experiencing behavioral health crises,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “The police also used excessive force, delayed necessary medical aid, and infringed on the civil rights of those engaged in First Amendment-protected conduct, including demonstrations and protests.”
The investigation is one of eleven of its kind probing police departments throughout the country since 2021.
The DOJ has plans to reach out to Phoenix community members to explain their findings and ask about potential solutions.
Community members can also submit recommendations by email at mailto:phoenix.community@usdoj.gov or by phone at 866-432-0335.
