Community leaders speak out on DOJ investigation into Phoenix Police

Local leaders speak out on DOJ's Phoenix PD findings

FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports.

PHOENIX - One week after the Department of Justice released a scathing report on the Phoenix Police Department, community leaders are continuing to speak out.

The overall message from activists on June 20: New changes from the Phoenix Police Department, and the DOJ report, don’t go far enough.

Last week, the DOJ released findings from the nearly three-year investigation.

Activists ask for change following DOJ report

Community leaders gathered following the DOJ document that reported civil rights abuses by the Phoenix Police Department, asking for more changes. FOX 10's Lauren Clark has more.

The assistant attorney general said the department's findings revealed what she calls "long-standing dysfunction" in the Phoenix Police Department, saying Phoenix Police routinely violate the civil rights of protestors and the homeless, while discriminating against people of color.

She called the findings both historic and severe.

Today, dozens of activists from community groups like Black Lives Matter, Poder in Action and more, claim the DOJ report doesn’t go far enough, criticizing the department for not including their input in their recommendations.

They also think far more needs to be done, and that real change won’t happen until officers listen.

On the other side, there are very different feelings.

Last week, the police union suggested the DOJ report was politically motivated and pointed to its recent reforms, including its updated use of force policy, as a commitment to change.

"Before we even released those, we told them we need to be involved in the process of any of those resolutions, and the development of them, said Dr. Mimi Gebremariam of Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro. "This has not happened. The DOJ has not done this, and we hope the DOJ can do better."

"The attempted strong-arming of the city council by the DOJ has proven that this investigation is a farce," said Darrell Kriplean, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.