CRIME/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/POLICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Six years ago, a police officer in this city in eastern Washington was convicted of beating a disabled man to death and trying to cover it up. After other alarming episodes involving Spokane officers came to light, the city asked federal officials to suggest changes to the police department as part of an Obama-era policing program.
Ever since, use of force by officers has declined, as have complaints from residents…
But in September, the Justice Department announced it would significantly scale back the program, known as the collaborative reform initiative, and reorient it toward more hands-off ‘technical assistance.’ The decision to soften what was already a voluntary program was aligned with the Trump administration’s general approach to law enforcement — cracking down on violent crime, not regulating the police departments that fight it…
In explaining its decision to chiefs and the media, the Justice Department has said that some police departments complained that the program became too aggressive and produced wide-ranging reports that contained errors.”
-Steve Eder, Ben Protess, and Shaila Dewan, “How Trump’s Hands-Off Approach to Policing Is Frustrating Some Chiefs,” Nov. 21, 2017