Many local leaders are hailing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the Memphis Police Department (MPD) as “the right course of action” to address “systemic issues” within the department.
DOJ officials announced Thursday they are opening a civil rights investigation into the city of Memphis and the MPD.
Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division of the DOJ’s local office said that this investigation will determine “whether there is a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or our federal civil rights law.”
Clarke said the move is not in response to a single incident or event, nor is it “confined to a specific unit or type of unit within the MPD.
Local leaders began sharing their thoughts about the investigation after a press conference on the matter Thursday afternoon.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy
“I’m pleased the DOJ is investigating civil rights practices within the MPD. While I’m sure most officers are people of good faith, we have systemic issues we need to address. The Tyre Nichols incident was not a one-off, but suggests wider problems of culture.
Only an outside investigation can restore the public confidence we need to get the community cooperating with law enforcement, which is the most important thing to bend the curve on crime. And only DOJ can provide the kind of thorough investigation into systemic practices that we need to restore public confidence.”
Memphis mayoral candidate Michelle McKissack
“This independent investigation is the right course of action. We need transparency and truth surrounding the tragic death of Tyre Nichols and patterns of misconduct within MPD.
Our community must have trust and faith in the Memphis Police Department. As mayor, I would be committed to fully cooperating with the investigation because it will leave us with a stronger department and a safer city.”
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci (legal counsel for the family of Tyre Nichols)
“The family of Tyre Nichols is grateful that the Department of Justice heard their cries for accountability and are opening this investigation.
Actions such as this will continue to show that the federal government will not let corruption within police departments take the lives of innocent Americans.
It is our hope that the investigation by the DOJ, under the leadership of Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Clarke, will provide a transparent account of the abuses of power we have seen and continue to see in Memphis.”
Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis)
“My hope is that city and police officials embrace the Department of Justice’s civil rights investigation as an opportunity for systemic change.
Our families are sick and tired of crime and they need our police department to succeed. But well-meaning officers cannot build trust if the department does not holistically address the failures it has made in the past.”
Former Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer
“Let’s not forget that the last time DOJ investigated Memphis, it found that Black youth were treated unfairly in Juvenile Court, the detention center, and by MPD and SCSO. Mayors [Jim] Strickland and [then Shelby County Mayor Mark Lutrell] successfully lobbied the Trump administration to remove those DOJ monitors.”
Just City
“Just City is pleased and encouraged that the Department of Justice has answered our community’s call for a pattern or practice investigation into the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department. We proudly added our voice to those of lawmakers, pastors, and advocates leading this demand and provided data analysis as evidence of their claims.
Today’s announcement is evidence of the power of our collective efforts since the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols, but we are also grateful for those who have advocated for more accountability and transparency for years. The opening of this investigation is validation of a long-held understanding by many in our community that our police department is rooted in a culture of violence, racial discrimination, and resistance to accountability.
We hope that our city’s next mayor will take this evidence and investigation seriously and move toward creating meaningful accountability for police officers and enact plans to reduce the over-policing of Black communities. This is a pivotal opportunity, and we hope this investigation results in renewed trust and public safety in a community desperate for both.”
Democratic State House Minority Leader and Memphis mayoral candidate Rep. Karen Camper
“The announcement of the Department of Justice investigation into the patterns and practices of the Memphis Police Department brings us one step closer to putting an end to a culture of racism, violence and violation that has been systemic in the department.
This investigation is focused on what we know must be fixed right now, but I believe it will be a catalyst for reform so that we do not have to have to fix it again in the future.
The work to create a more just and equitable Memphis continues and I promise you that I will always be in the fight with you.”
Rev. Al Sharpton
“When I delivered the eulogy for Tyre [Nichols] this February, I made a clear call for the Justice Department to look at the policies and procedures that led to his death.
“You cannot allow a police department to continue business as usual when there’s clear video of multiple officers ripping him from his car, shoving him to the pavement, and senselessly beating him to death.”
