The city of Louisville and the Justice Department reached an agreement to address police misconduct after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020 brought attention to far-ranging abuses. The consent decree, comes after a DOJ investigation documented excessive use of force, illegal searches and car stops and widespread discrimination against Black people and those with mental illnesses. The agreement mandates that the police department improve those policies as well as other guidelines, including how it responds to protests and demonstrations. Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general overseeing DOJ's civil rights division, said, “This process will take time, but it will reap dividends down the line.”
The agreement, which must be approved by a judge, is part of DOJ effort under President Biden to address police abuses. Overall, 13 such agreements are in place, two of which were negotiated during Biden’s term. Typically, these agreements last until the judge has found that the department achieved the established goals. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the new arrangement was intended to limit oversight to five years. In some cases, consent decrees can last for far longer. Baltimore Police Department operates under a consent decree that began in April 2017. Greenberg said changes have already been made since the death of Taylor, 26, who was fatally shot by the police in March 2020 during a botched raid of her apartment. The police entered unannounced and without a warrant. The city passed Breonna’s Law, which bans “no-knock” warrants in which officers break into a residence without warning. The city has offered more mental health counseling for officers, updated training programs, named an inspector general and named a civilian review board to monitor the department.
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