WASHINGTON, D.C. — Phoenix's interim police chief and city manager met face-to-face with US Department of Justice leaders Friday for the first time since a scathing federal report was released in June.
That DOJ report found a pattern or practice of civil rights violations by Phoenix police officers and staff. Federal investigators said the constitutional violations included deadly excessive force, to racial discrimination in policing, suppressing the First Amendment right to protest, and well as over-policing people experiencing homelessness and people with behavioral health disabilities.
It's unclear how long Friday's meeting lasted or whether any decisions were made.
According to Phoenix spokesman Dan Wilson, city staff "approached this meeting knowing it would be the first of many discussions with the DOJ as we work to identify a plan that works for Phoenix."
Related: ABC15's comprehensive coverage of the Phoenix DOJ report
DOJ officials want the city to enter into a consent decree. That's a multi-year reform plan supervised by a federal judge and third-party monitor.
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Phoenix's interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan maintains the department is self-assessing and self-correcting. City council members have bucked the idea of a consent decree and delayed a direct response to the DOJ's report until now.
To demonstrate why a lengthy, binding consent decree may not be necessary, Chief Sullivan, City Manager Jeff Barton, and other city staff bring several existing plans to the negotiation table:
- The Road to Reform report that addressed changes being made to use-of-force protocols, as well as programs to better serve homeless and disabled populations
- A draft of a new policy, released Friday, on protecting free speech rights
- This week's memo from Phoenix councilmembers directing city staff and the police department on improvements to accountability, especially in responding to citizen complaints and disciplining officers
If a binding, mutual reform agreement can't be reached, DOJ officials have indicated they could file a lawsuit against the city of Phoenix to force reforms that better protect residents' civil rights.
