DOJ Report Describes Civil Rights Violations by Mount Vernon Police

The U.S. Department of Justice has released a report detailing systemic civil rights violations by the Mount Vernon Police Department in New York, which engaged in illegal arrests and unnecessary strip searches, including a disturbing incident involving two elderly women. Despite no single triggering event for the investigation, the 2020 strip search of the women, who were arrested on drug suspicion without evidence, exemplified the department's misconduct. The report highlights that until at least late 2022, the department routinely strip-searched all arrested individuals and even those not formally charged. These practices, which included illegal cavity searches, reportedly continued into 2023, raising concerns about their permanence. The investigation is part of a broader DOJ initiative involving 12 local policing agency inquiries since 2021, influenced by high-profile cases of police violence. Additionally, the department struggles with financial issues that exacerbate the human rights violations stemming from inadequate training and oversight.