MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Interim Police Chief CJ Davis have issued statements in response to the findings of the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into Memphis.
The Justice Department announced an investigation into the Memphis Police Department in July 2023, looking at the department’s “pattern or practice” of how it uses force and conducts stops, searches and arrests, and whether it engages in discriminatory policing.
A report released Wednesday, Dec. 4, marked the conclusion of the investigation that began six months after Nichols was kicked, punched and hit with a police baton as five officers tried to arrest him after he fled a traffic stop.
The report says that “Memphis police officers regularly violate the rights of the people they are sworn to serve.”
“The people of Memphis deserve a police department and city that protects their civil and constitutional rights, garners trust and keeps them safe,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in an emailed statement.
City of Memphis officials released a document earlier Wednesday in response to the Department of Justice’s agreement in principle relating to the pattern or practice investigation saying they, “cannot do that.”
Following the release of the U.S. Department of Justice’s findings on Wednesday, both Mayor Young and Chief Davis issued statements addressing the report’s conclusions and the city’s response to the investigation.
Statement from Mayor Paul Young:
"On the evening of December 4, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) released the findings of its investigation into our City’s police department. This report is going to be difficult to read. Our hearts go out to any person who has been mistreated by the police. That should absolutely never happen anywhere.
While we fully support ongoing police improvement, we do not think it is wise to immediately enter into any Agreement in Principle or Consent Decree at this time. This decision stems from the belief that together we can enact more effective and meaningful changes through community engagement and collaboration rather than through a long-term Federal consent decree that may become a hindrance to our improvement efforts and a financial burden to our residents.
However, make no mistake, we are taking the DOJ’s findings seriously and will review this lengthy report with an open mind. I believe it is crucial that we take the necessary time to thoroughly review in order to formulate a response that truly addresses the needs of Memphis.
We have demonstrated our commitment to cooperating fully with the DOJ throughout this investigation, and I want to emphasize that this collaborative spirit will continue. We are focused on refining our practices and implementing meaningful change. Our dedication to improving the Memphis Police Department is unwavering, and we believe that working with local stakeholders an national experts will yield a plan that more effectively meets our community's needs than an overly bureaucratic, costly, and complicated Federal government consent decree."
Statement from Chief CJ Davis:
"Since the announcement of the DOJ's pattern and practice investigation on July 27, 2023, the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department have fully cooperated with the inquiry. We have granted investigators access to interviews, ride-alongs, our data, policies, procedures, and body-worn camera footage.
However, the DOJ’s investigation has been largely conducted with little transparency regarding their findings. We have not been privy to the identities of those interviewed, nor have we had access to the data analysis that underpins their findings.
Our officers face difficult daily challenges, and while there are still processes that require continuous review, our officers come to work every day wanting to serve their community. We participated fully in the DOJ’s investigation because we believe we can always do better, and we will.
Make no mistake, we are taking the DOJ’s findings seriously, and we will review this lengthy report with an open mind. We believe in continuous improvement and do not take this process lightly. We believe in improved policing, in training, and in the progress we are seeing daily. We will continue to improve. We will continue to work with national police reform experts and the DOJ to produce a plan that can be implemented effectively and efficiently without Federal constraint and undue financial burden to the residents of Memphis."