Holder: Cleveland PD Engaged in Pattern of Excessive Force [Full Remarks]

“Thank you all for ░░░░░░░░ here today I am ░░░░░░░░ today by Vanita Gupta ░░░░░░░░ Assistant Attorney General for ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department s Civil ░░░░░░░░ Division as well as ░░░░░░░░ our great U S ░░░░░░░░ Steven Dettelbach and the ░░░░░░░░ and the Chief it ░░░░░░░░ good to have you ░░░░░░░░ as well In recent ░░░░░░░░ millions of people throughout ░░░░░░░░ nation have come together ░░░░░░░░ by grief and anguish ░░░░░░░░ response to the tragic ░░░░░░░░ of Michael Brown in ░░░░░░░░ Missouri and Eric Garner ░░░░░░░░ New York City As ░░░░░░░░ announced last night the ░░░░░░░░ States Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ currently conducting an independent ░░░░░░░░ fair and expeditious federal ░░░░░░░░ rights investigation into each ░░░░░░░░ these incidents And as ░░░░░░░░ Obama and I have ░░░░░░░░ the time has come ░░░░░░░░ think to do even ░░░░░░░░ The tragic losses of ░░░░░░░░ and far too many ░░░░░░░░ Americans including just last ░░░░░░░░ the shooting death of ░░░░░░░░ year old Tamir Rice ░░░░░░░░ in Cleveland have really ░░░░░░░░ urgent national questions and ░░░░░░░░ have sparked an important ░░░░░░░░ about the sense of ░░░░░░░░ that must exist between ░░░░░░░░ enforcement and the communities ░░░░░░░░ serve and protect Earlier ░░░░░░░░ week I traveled to ░░░░░░░░ to begin a series ░░░░░░░░ interactions with law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ community and faith leaders ░░░░░░░░ at restoring trust rebuilding ░░░░░░░░ and fostering renewed cooperation ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement and community ░░░░░░░░ Today we convene the ░░░░░░░░ in that series of ░░░░░░░░ discussions with leaders here ░░░░░░░░ Cleveland with the intention ░░░░░░░░ building a constructive and ░░░░░░░░ national conversation And we ░░░░░░░░ off this conversation with ░░░░░░░░ important announcement regarding a ░░░░░░░░ step forward in our ░░░░░░░░ to ensure the highest ░░░░░░░░ of policing and to ░░░░░░░░ broad outreach and engagement ░░░░░░░░ police officials and Cleveland ░░░░░░░░ After a thorough and ░░░░░░░░ review the Department of ░░░░░░░░ has completed its civil ░░░░░░░░ or practice investigation into ░░░░░░░░ Cleveland Division of Police ░░░░░░░░ investigation spanned more than ░░░░░░░░ year and a half ░░░░░░░░ it was launched in ░░░░░░░░ to a series of ░░░░░░░░ high profile use of ░░░░░░░░ incidents as well as ░░░░░░░░ numerous public calls for ░░░░░░░░ federal investigation by civic ░░░░░░░░ Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and ░░░░░░░░ Mayor Jackson Since March ░░░░░░░░ the Justice Department has ░░░░░░░░ examined nearly 600 use ░░░░░░░░ force incidents that occurred ░░░░░░░░ 2010 and 2013 including ░░░░░░░░ involving the use of ░░░░░░░░ and less than lethal ░░░░░░░░ We have determined that ░░░░░░░░ is reasonable cause to ░░░░░░░░ that the Cleveland Division ░░░░░░░░ Police engages in a ░░░░░░░░ or practice of using ░░░░░░░░ force and as a ░░░░░░░░ of systemic deficiencies including ░░░░░░░░ accountability inadequate training and ░░░░░░░░ ineffective policies and inadequate ░░░░░░░░ in the community Fortunately ░░░░░░░░ I can announce that ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice and ░░░░░░░░ city of Cleveland have ░░░░░░░░ together to set in ░░░░░░░░ a process that will ░░░░░░░░ these issues in a ░░░░░░░░ and a court enforceable ░░░░░░░░ Under Mayor Jackson s ░░░░░░░░ the city has acknowledged ░░░░░░░░ the department s findings ░░░░░░░░ issues of importance to ░░░░░░░░ throughout this community And ░░░░░░░░ we have agreed to ░░░░░░░░ statement of principles that ░░░░░░░░ lead to a court ░░░░░░░░ consent decree including an ░░░░░░░░ monitor who will oversee ░░░░░░░░ implementation of sustainable reforms ░░░░░░░░ compliance based on objective ░░░░░░░░ and ensure that robust ░░░░░░░░ policies and practices will ░░░░░░░░ in more effective and ░░░░░░░░ policing We recognize of ░░░░░░░░ that this process will ░░░░░░░░ both difficult and it ░░░░░░░░ be complex It will ░░░░░░░░ engagement and input from ░░░░░░░░ brave law enforcement officers ░░░░░░░░ serve on the front ░░░░░░░░ Cleveland residents civic leaders ░░░░░░░░ other community stakeholders It ░░░░░░░░ require sustained and collaborative ░░░░░░░░ toward clear concrete objectives ░░░░░░░░ build trust to close ░░░░░░░░ and to forge stronger ░░░░░░░░ We understand that the ░░░░░░░░ we seek will not ░░░░░░░░ overnight But I am ░░░░░░░░ that the city of ░░░░░░░░ and the United States ░░░░░░░░ of Justice will move ░░░░░░░░ together as committed partners ░░░░░░░░ this joint statement of ░░░░░░░░ and eventual consent decree ░░░░░░░░ provide what I believe ░░░░░░░░ a solid foundation for ░░░░░░░░ steps forward so that ░░░░░░░░ can enable all of ░░░░░░░░ residents of Cleveland to ░░░░░░░░ full confidence in the ░░░░░░░░ public servants who work ░░░░░░░░ day to keep them ░░░░░░░░ and so that we ░░░░░░░░ empower those dedicated women ░░░░░░░░ men in blue to ░░░░░░░░ persistent challenges to obtain ░░░░░░░░ training and other resources ░░░░░░░░ need to do their ░░░░░░░░ safely and effectively and ░░░░░░░░ to become the outstanding ░░░░░░░░ class police force that ░░░░░░░░ great city deserves This ░░░░░░░░ continues today with this ░░░░░░░░ announcement and with the ░░░░░░░░ discussion I will convene ░░░░░░░░ afternoon All of the ░░░░░░░░ here who will be ░░░░░░░░ part of that conversation ░░░░░░░░ that accountability and legitimacy ░░░░░░░░ essential for communities to ░░░░░░░░ their police departments and ░░░░░░░░ there to be genuine ░░░░░░░░ between police and the ░░░░░░░░ that they serve As ░░░░░░░░ brother of a retired ░░░░░░░░ officer I know in ░░░░░░░░ very personal way how ░░░░░░░░ these public servants are ░░░░░░░░ is for their sake ░░░░░░░░ well that we must ░░░░░░░░ to heal the breakdowns ░░░░░░░░ we have seen And ░░░░░░░░ these issues are as ░░░░░░░░ said complex and the ░░░░░░░░ longstanding we have seen ░░░░░░░░ city after city where ░░░░░░░░ engaged that meaningful change ░░░░░░░░ possible There are real ░░░░░░░░ and concrete measures that ░░░░░░░░ be taken to ensure ░░░░░░░░ only that police services ░░░░░░░░ delivered in a constitutional ░░░░░░░░ but that we can ░░░░░░░░ public safety officer safety ░░░░░░░░ and collaboration transparency and ░░░░░░░░ As you know earlier ░░░░░░░░ week President Obama announced ░░░░░░░░ series of constructive steps ░░░░░░░░ help bolster the trust ░░░░░░░░ and the effectiveness of ░░░░░░░░ policing of our communities ░░░░░░░░ include convening a new ░░░░░░░░ force to develop ways ░░░░░░░░ reduce crime while building ░░░░░░░░ trust reforming how the ░░░░░░░░ government equips local law ░░░░░░░░ particularly with military style ░░░░░░░░ and advancing the use ░░░░░░░░ body worn cameras and ░░░░░░░░ community policing initiatives These ░░░░░░░░ to my mind exactly ░░░░░░░░ kinds of pragmatic and ░░░░░░░░ actions that will bring ░░░░░░░░ right people together to ░░░░░░░░ in a constructive national ░░░░░░░░ And they will complement ░░░░░░░░ reinvigorated police reform work ░░░░░░░░ the Justice Department s ░░░░░░░░ Office Civil Rights Division ░░░░░░░░ United States Attorney s ░░░░░░░░ throughout the nation have ░░░░░░░░ leading Over the last ░░░░░░░░ fiscal years our Civil ░░░░░░░░ Division has opened more ░░░░░░░░ 20 investigations into police ░░░░░░░░ across the country more ░░░░░░░░ twice as many as ░░░░░░░░ opened in the previous ░░░░░░░░ fiscal years We are ░░░░░░░░ enforcing no fewer than ░░░░░░░░ agreements with law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ including eight consent decrees ░░░░░░░░ correct unconstitutional policing practices ░░░░░░░░ we have seen many ░░░░░░░░ over that this model ░░░░░░░░ work Reform is underway ░░░░░░░░ New Orleans Seattle Albuquerque ░░░░░░░░ Oregon East Haven Connecticut ░░░░░░░░ RICO and Warren Ohio ░░░░░░░░ are committed to moving ░░░░░░░░ together here in Cleveland ░░░░░░░░ throughout the nation to ░░░░░░░░ renewed engagement renewed trust ░░░░░░░░ renewed momentum to translate ░░░░░░░░ action into meaningful results ░░░░░░░░ have a great deal ░░░░░░░░ work to do but ░░░░░░░░ announcement I think marks ░░░░░░░░ important first step I ░░░░░░░░ to thank everyone who ░░░░░░░░ so hard to make ░░░░░░░░ announcement possible including the ░░░░░░░░ men and women of ░░░░░░░░ the Civil Rights Division ░░░░░░░░ Special Litigation Section our ░░░░░░░░ U S Attorney Steven ░░░░░░░░ and men and women ░░░░░░░░ his office the Office ░░░░░░░░ the Northern District of ░░░░░░░░ and the city of ░░░░░░░░ your great Mayor Mayor ░░░░░░░░ and a wonderful Police ░░░░░░░░ that you have here ░░░░░░░░ well It s my ░░░░░░░░ to turn things over ░░░░░░░░ the Assistant Attorney General ░░░░░░░░ the Civil Rights Division ░░░░░░░░ Gupta who will provide ░░░░░░░░ details.”