DOJ forces Mississippi police reforms over civil rights violations

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 22:32 · Archive

The US Department of Justice has reached a settlement requiring the Lexington Police Department to reform practices after finding it discriminated against Black people and used excessive force.

The US Department of Justice has announced a settlement forcing reforms on the Lexington Police Department in Mississippi after a 2024 report found it routinely violated citizens' civil rights. The department, based in a rural, poor, majority-Black city about 65 miles north of Jackson, discriminated against Black people, used excessive force, retaliated against critics and arrested people for low-level offences to generate revenue for the department.

The out-of-court settlement requires the City of Lexington and its police department to reform practices on fines, bail, stops, searches and use of force, bringing them into compliance with state and federal law. The agreement specifically bars the police from jailing people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they can afford to pay them, a practice the DOJ found violated the Fourteenth Amendment.

The city court had issued arrest warrants for more than 650 people, roughly half the city's population, for unpaid fines. Under the settlement, the city and police department must dismiss all existing warrants for unpaid fines and fees that violate the law and expunge the records of all unlawful fine-based convictions. They are also barred from creating quota or incentive systems for stops, warnings, citations, arrests or related revenue.

How it is being reported

• DOJ reaches settlement with Mississippi police department it found routinely violated civil rightsThe U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it reached a settlement forcing reforms for a Mississippi city and its police department, which the DOJ found discriminated against Black people, used excessive force and retaliated against critics.Clickorlando · 16 Oct, 22:07
• DOJ reaches settlement with Mississippi police department it found routinely violated civil rightsThe U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it reached a settlement forcing reforms for a Mississippi city and its police department, which the DOJ found discriminated against Black people, used excessive force and retaliated against critics.News4Jax · 16 Oct, 22:07

In this story: US Department of Justice · Lexington Police Department · Lexington · Mississippi

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem