“Ensuring fair and nondiscriminatory policing is a cornerstone of effective law enforcement, particularly for agencies that benefit from federal funding,” emphasized Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By collaborating with the Justice Department in enacting policing reforms, the Antioch Police Department is unequivocally conveying that the discrimination and misconduct that triggered this investigation will not be condoned. The agreement we have reached will guarantee that Antioch’s policing methods are void of discrimination moving forward — a standard that the community rightfully expects.”
The Antioch Police Department (APD) and the City of Antioch have committed to seeking guidance from an expert law enforcement consultant to implement pivotal police reforms addressing areas like use of force, discrimination, misconduct, hiring practices, and more.
“The behaviors that led to this investigation were inexcusable, and there were evident shortcomings,” stated an online release from the APD.
Furthermore, the statement continued, “The City of Antioch is resolutely dedicated to ensuring that such incidents never repeat themselves. Our partnership with the USDOJ underlines our commitment to nurturing trust, transparency, and accountability within our Police Department. Throughout this five-year accord, we will establish and improve extensive policies, procedures, training programs, community engagement efforts, and oversight mechanisms to guarantee that officers uphold principles of integrity and equity while promptly and effectively addressing misconduct.”
The city of Antioch and a minimum of nine police officers are currently entangled in a lawsuit following the circulation of racist texts that allege civil rights violations against residents.
In response to the complaint, one defendant contended that they are shielded by qualified immunity and did not infringe on plaintiffs’ rights or violate established laws: “Defendant refutes each and every allegation in said complaint and any purported cause of action therein, and maintains that no Plaintiff suffered, is suffering, or will suffer the damages alleged or otherwise.”
At the moment, the department has opted not to provide a statement. ABC News has reached out for further comment.
ABC News’ Tesfaye Negussie contributed to this coverage.
California Police Department Commits to Reform Following Investigation into Racist Texts, as originally reported on abcnews.go.com.
