There are two ways to read the final report by the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, submitted Tuesday by Atty. Gen. William Barr on the eve of his early departure from the Justice Department.
The first is to see it as the completely illegitimate, politically self-serving defense of retrograde policing practices that it is. It reflects the commission’s unbalanced membership (it consisted only of law enforcement officials), its lack of civil rights or racial justice perspectives, and its unlawful proceedings held with insufficient public notice or public input. The rogue panel’s work was so legally out of bounds that a federal judge ordered the final product to be emblazoned with a prominent disclaimer or withheld altogether. The mandated wording appears on the report’s inside front cover, and the court’s order is attached.
Operation Legend Leads to Over 6,000 Arrests, Including 467 for Murder: DOJ
Outgoing Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday gave his last update on Operation Legend, a Trump administration initiative to drive down violent crime in major inner cities, saying that the program had led to over 6,000 arrests since its launch earlier this year.
The operation was launched in Kansas City, Missouri, in July and has since been expanded to eight cities that saw rising crime rates this past year. It involves surging federal agents and resources to inner cities to assist local and state law enforcement officials tackle violent crime and restore public safety.
NH top stories dominated by virus, election, police reform
By KATHY McCORMACKDecember 23, 2020 GMT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) The coronavirus pandemic, which brought everyday life to a halt and tested people’s resiliency, was New Hampshire’s top story of 2020.
The state has been dealing with rising COVID-19 cases and deaths, overworked health care workers, job and business losses, changing education and sports plans, and countless cancellations.
To get back on track, lawmakers, business leaders and state officials listened to public testimony and advised Gov. Chris Sununu on reopening the state. The 400-member House convened at the University of New Hampshire’s ice arena. Cargo planes delivered thousands of pounds of personal protective equipment to the state and to Veterans Affairs hospitals nationwide.
States Should Enact Laws Requiring Independent Probes Into Police Use-of-Force Cases: DOJ
States should introduce laws that require an outside agency to conduct independent criminal investigations into police use-of-force incidents that result in death or injury in order to build public trust, the Justice Department (DOJ) recommended in a newly released report.
The report was released as part of a review conducted by the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. It was launched in January following an executive order that directed the department to study the state of American policing and determine specific measures to reduce crime and promote the rule of law.