Justice Department Chides Phoenix Police Over Civil Rights Violations
14th June 2024
Unlike in other federal investigations of city police, no single incident kicked off the Biden administration review, which covered the years between 2019 and 2022. But Phoenix had the highest number of fatal police shootings in the country in 2018, resulting in 23 deaths, and critics cite a history of mistreatment of minorities and disabled and homeless people.
The Justice Department said it wants to work with Phoenix to put reforms in place, even though city officials have indicated they do not want the federal involvement. That could potentially provoke a fraught confrontation between the Biden administration and the largest city in a pivotal swing state. Last month, former President Donald J. Trump, the presumed Republican candidate, appeared to have an edge in the state, according to a poll of registered voters. President Biden narrowly won Arizona in the 2020 election.