DOJ Ends Oversight of Multiple Police Departments

The Department of Justice has closed multiple civil rights investigations into police departments, including those in Phoenix, Memphis, and Oklahoma City, while retracting prior findings of constitutional violations made under the Biden administration. DOJ officials argued that consent decrees undermine local control and labeled previous reforms as factually unjustified and politically motivated. Local officials in Phoenix and Memphis welcomed the end of federal oversight, citing benefits for police morale and recruitment. Civil rights advocates and some local leaders criticized the move as a setback for police reform, while Oklahoma disability rights groups both welcomed DOJ findings on discrimination and criticized state leaders for rejecting federal involvement. The DOJ is also dismissing lawsuits against the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments, marking a broader retreat from federal civil rights enforcement. The shift has ignited debate over balancing local authority with efforts to address systemic police misconduct.