Civil and Human Rights Coalition Critical of Sessions’ Potential Move to End Federal Supervision to Improve Police Departments

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the New York Times reported that Attorney General Sessions may direct the Department of Justice to stop using consent decrees:

“Recent tragic events involving law enforcement, such as the shooting deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Eric Garner in New York City, Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio, and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minnesota, among others, highlight the systemic issues of discriminatory policing that have led to longstanding fear and mistrust between law enforcement and communities of color.  

Over the last several years, consent decrees have been crucial to the Justice Department’s efforts to address police misconduct and make cities safer – for both law enforcement officers and the citizens they protect and serve. So it is troubling that the Attorney General is contemplating moving away from using these agreements.

Consent decrees are only issued after careful study and review, often after finding unconstitutional activities by law enforcement and rampant civil rights abuses. They help lay a foundation of cooperation and trust, which is a key component of increasing public safety. For reform-minded police and elected officials around the country, the Justice Department’s involvement has been a godsend, giving them much-needed support.

Sessions’ opposition to consent decrees when he was a senator was well-known. However, he would do well to remember that he now serves as this nation’s Attorney General and must be guided by the paramount duties that the office demands. We urge the Attorney General to continue to use every tool at his disposal to build police departments that preserve life and protect all people equally.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.