Justice Department finds a pattern of misconduct by police in Trenton

In a recently released report, officials with the Federal Department of Justice have found that the Trenton Police Department and the City of Trenton, “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”

Trenton Police DOJ investigation

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was investigating the Trenton Police Department, due to “use of force and its stops, searches and arrests.”

“Police officers must respect people’s civil and constitutional rights and treat people with dignity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement on the report.

Findings

The Justice Department report claims that federal officials found that police officers in Trenton, make illegal arrests, unlawfully uses excessive force, including unreasonable forms of physical force and pepper spray in the absence of any significant resistance or danger.

The report also notes that the department’s officers searches and arrests people without reasonable suspicion or probable cause, and there are deficiencies in the department’s  training, supervision, policy and accountability.

To correct this problem, the report includes recommendations for how these issues can be addressed. City officials and the police force have stated that they will work with the DOJ to implement the recommendations, federal officials said.