Justice Department boosts activity to police the police

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

The Obama administration is ramping up civil rights enforcement against local police nationwide, opening a number of investigations to determine whether officers are guilty of brutality or discrimination against Hispanics and other minorities.

In recent months, the Justice Department has begun inquiries into major city police departments such as Portland, Ore., where officers shot several people who had mental health issues and Seattle, where police were accused of gunning down a homeless Native American woodcarver. he department issued a scathing report earlier this month accusing Puerto Rico police of a “staggering level of crime and corruption.’’

All told, Justice’s Civil Rights Division is conducting 17 probes of police and sheriff departments — the largest number in its 54-year history. The investigations are civil, meaning they will not lead to criminal charges, but can result in court-enforced reforms.

The federal effort, part of the administration’s heightened enforcement of civil rights laws, has won praise from advocacy groups and experts on police brutality.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/justice-department-boosts-activity-to-police-the-police/2011/09/14/gIQA1JrQaK_singlePage.html

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Rick Perry's Justice Department would probably push to expand the death penalty, and he would host dinner parties for cops in police brutality cases.

[Vincardog]

1. Speaking of Governor Good-hair the Justice Dept. might want to look into the Dallas PD

[TheWraith]

2. We need a dedicated agency which solely polices the police, FBI, ATF, and military.

FBI like powers of investigation, but with no authority re: the civilian populace.

[DissedByBush]

4. The military does have the Inspector General

And its chain of command is independent of any other command an IG investigator may be operating under.

[No Elephants]

5. And Lord knows, the IG exposes so much wrong within the military .

[DissedByBush]

9. The IG isn't about exposing wrong stuf publicly

The IG is about stopping wrong stuff. It usually doesn't hit the news.

[Dawson Leery]

3. It's about time. This is one of the major reasons

why the law enforcement community generally does not support center-left candidates.
The uniform needs to be kept in check.

[No Elephants]

6. So, the Bushies Obama left within the D of J and the Republicans he appointed

are going to be all over the cops?

This should be interesting to watch.

[SkyDaddy7]

7. I sure hope they are looking...

At police in the South especially Georgia. The police have got to be so bad across the country especially Since tazzers became their favorite toy to terrorize the public with it now takes overwhelming evil for a police dept. To even be considered for investigation. This is sure to get much worse across the South as Republicans own the Southern governments & will for a very long time.

[dotymed]

8. It must be election time. If they look in their own back-yard,

like the SCOTUS "justices" it would be much more effective. Maybe too politically risky? Of course, the "justice" dept. has had need to investigate the police state during the whole administration, it is the very low hanging fruit that will make no actual difference until the "big boys" are prosecuted. Look at all of the war criminals, banksters,politician, justices, etc., that are also "low hanging fruit." Their criminal activities are well known and easily proven in a court. Our government is a criminal enterprise, giving up a couple of their "soldiers"won't disrupt anything. It will cost us millions to build and prosecute these little fish. Justice could prove the criminal activities of the "Capo's" much easier, many of their crimes are very public. The people will probably fall for this public corruption sweep aimed at the lowest on the food chain. How disgusting.