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SEARCHAfter 13 years of being watched by the federal government, scrutinized over how it handles arrests and lockups, the Detroit Police Department is officially free from Big Brother oversight.
After 13 years of being watched by the federal government, scrutinized over how it handles arrests and lockups, the Detroit Police Department is officially free from Big Brother oversight.
U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn ended that oversight Thursday in a two-page order that said the department "has met its obligations" under an agreement with the Department of Justice to maintain and improve reforms.
"Further, the parties have discussed the city's and (Detroit Police Department's) plans to ensure that the people of Detroit continue to receive constitutional and effective policing after federal oversight ends," Cohn wrote.
In 2003, the city entered into two consent decrees with the Justice Department after police were accused of unconstitutional conduct, including excessive use of force and illegal detentions, USA Today reports.
The consent decrees came after a Detroit Free Press investigation uncovered excessive use of deadly force, illegal dragnet arrests of possible witnesses to crimes, and improper treatment of prisoners.
