The Trenton Police Department and the City of Trenton, New Jersey, are involved in a pattern or practice of behavior that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, according to a report issued Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 by Federal Department of Justice officials.
Due to the use of force during stops, searches, and arrests last year, the U.S. Department of Justice declared that it was looking into the Trenton Police Department.
According to federal officials, the report also offers suggestions for how to deal with these problems, and the police and city officials have promised to collaborate with the department to put them into practice.
In a statement on the study, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated that police officers must treat people with dignity and respect their civil and constitutional rights. Following a thorough investigation, we discovered that Trenton police officers frequently disregarded the Fourth Amendment rights of Trenton residents. Trenton police make unlawful arrests, use disproportionate force without cause, and stop and search drivers and pedestrians without a warrant.
According to the Justice Department investigation, federal inspectors discovered that police officers in Trenton, New Jersey, unlawfully used excessive force, including pepper spray and unreasonable forms of physical force, when there was no discernible risk or resistance.
The report noted that the police force frequently stops, searches, and arrests people without probable cause or reasonable suspicion. It also found what officials described as shortcomings in training, supervision, policy, and accountability that contribute to the unlawful conduct of the city and the Trenton Police Department.
According to federal officials, Trenton police officers frequently escalated contacts when they encountered little opposition or threat, citing instances of what the study described as a pattern or practice of using excessive force.
After first using moderate force to arrest a guy in 2023, a cop repeatedly stomped on his hand once he was on the ground, then kneeled on his head and kicked him in the shoulder, according to one incident officials cited.
The report also stated that the city has had to pay over $7 million to settle lawsuits related to allegations of misconduct by officers since 2021.
“We are dedicated to putting in the effort required to establish constitutional policing throughout the nation,” Clarke stated. We are certain that by uniting the community, police department, and municipal authorities, we can enact significant changes that address the infractions found.
Philip R. Sellinger, the District of New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney, expressed his excitement about collaborating with the Trenton Police Department and the community to put reforms into place.
According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, the residents of Trenton deserve nothing less than just and constitutional law enforcement. Our study revealed that police in Trenton frequently disregarded the constitutional rights of people they stopped, sometimes with tragic results. The difficulties Trenton faces in reforming its department are noted in the report that was made public today, but we anticipate that the city and police department will work together to implement the necessary changes that will uphold citizens’ civil rights, improve Trenton residents’ safety, and foster public confidence.
Additionally, Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora stated in a statement issued Thursday that he made sure the city’s government collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice and that he intends to keep doing so in order to carry out the report’s recommendations.
Gusciora said in a statement that every citizen of the City of Trenton, as well as the hundreds of people who visit and work here every day, desire and deserve a police force that protects their rights under the U.S. Constitution while keeping them safe.
The City and the [Trenton Police Department] had already started to implement changes to rules and procedures that put community safety, accountability, and civil liberties first even before the USDOJ study. The creation of the Internal Affairs Bureau, which includes the training, professional standards, human resources, and internal affairs divisions, is among the most significant reforms. To put the Report’s recommendations into action as soon as possible, the City will keep collaborating with the USDOJ, our state partners at the Department of Law and Public Safety and the Department of Community Affairs, as well as local community organizations and citizens.
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