Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Trenton, New Jersey, and the Trenton Police Department (TPD), officials announced Tuesday.
The investigation will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law by TPD.
The investigation will focus on TPD’s use of force and its stops, searches, and arrests.
The investigation will include a comprehensive review of TPD policies, training, supervision, complaint intake, internal investigation protocols, complaint reviews, complaint adjudications, and disciplinary decisions.
“The public must have trust and confidence that police officers will treat them fairly and with respect,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “The Justice Department is opening an investigation into the Trenton Police Department after an extensive review of publicly available information and other information provided to us suggesting that officers used force, stopped motorists and pedestrians and conducted searches of homes and cars in violation of the Constitution and federal law.”
Adding, “Our experience has shown that policing practices that run afoul of the law and our Constitution can lead to distrust between police officers and the community. The Justice Department will conduct a full and fair investigation into these allegations, and if we substantiate those violations, the department will take appropriate action to remedy them.”
The Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division will jointly conduct this investigation under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
The Act prohibits state and local governments through their law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution and federal law.
In a statement, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora stated he was informed about the investigation. Gusciora said police have seized over 200 illegal firearms and taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs off the streets in recent months.
“We thank and support the overwhelming majority of officers at the city, county, and state level who do the right things every day to keep Trentonians safe,” Gusciora said.
Suppose the Justice Department has reasonable cause to believe that the law enforcement officers of a state or local government have engaged in a prohibited pattern or practice. In that case, the department can bring a lawsuit seeking court-ordered changes to remedy the violations.
In this investigation, the department will assess the law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the reporting portal of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, available at www.civilrights.justice.gov or the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s civil rights reporting portal, available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Additional information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.