Justice Department to announce review of Memphis police

The Department of Justice will announce a "comprehensive review" of the Memphis Police Department, the DOJ said Tuesday. A press conference is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday with the department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Police Director Michael Rallings invited the COPS program to Memphis "for a collaborative review of both community-oriented policing and the use of deadly force," said city spokeswoman Ursula Madden.

"We haven't yet signed an agreement, but we do expect a formal announcement in partnership with the DOJ tomorrow," she said.

U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III mentioned a reform initiative in September at an announcement that a federal review of the fatal shooting of Darrius Stewart concluded with insufficient evidence to support charges against former Memphis police Officer Connor Schilling.

Stanton said in September that work is being done to “address the deep concerns that we’ve heard over the past months so that we can have a healthy and productive dialogue that can help prevent such tragedies in the future.” He added that more information about a collaborative reform initiative benefiting the Memphis Police Department would be released in coming weeks. Such initiatives help departments make positive changes by examining practices, policies, training, rules and procedures around key issues, Stanton said.

In a lawsuit, attorneys for Stewart’s parents alleged that Memphis police disproportionately check young black males for warrants. Attorneys also alleged that the city and former police director failed to punish officers for unconstitutional conduct and sent a “clear message to police officers that it is OK to shoot first and ask questions second if the officer thinks that there is any chance that a potential suspect or future victim may have a weapon or may pose a threat to the officer." The suit was filed in July amid days of protests in Memphis where demonstrators took to streets chanting “black lives matter” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police.” On July 10, protesters shut down both sides of Interstate 40 over the Mississippi River.

The Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services have conducted assessments of police departments across the country including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and North Charleston, S.C.

Following the assessments, the COPS office issues a public report detailing the findings. They also evaluate progress made in implementing recommendations over an 18-month period following the initial assessment.

Earlier this month the federal review in San Francisco was released and found that department has issues with transparency, accountability, bias, data collection, internal oversight and hiring, as well as obstacles from the police union to implement reforms.

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division investigated police in Baltimore and Ferguson finding a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct.

Asked about the differences between the COPS review and the investigations of Baltimore and Ferguson, Madden said "the single biggest difference is that this is voluntary on behalf of the City Of Memphis." She added that the city invited the review and it is a collaborative effort.

Memphis also looked at the International Association of Chiefs of Police to review community policing and use of deadly force practices.

"We went with the DOJ because the program is reputable but also free," Madden said.

The COPS office is the part of the DOJ responsible for advancing community policing nationally, the DOJ said.

"Since 1995, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 127,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance," the DOJ said in a news release.