Federal oversight of Detroit police wraps up after years

DETROIT (AP) - Federal oversight of the Detroit Police Department that included its handling of arrests and lockups has officially ended after 13 years.

U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn last Thursday issued an order saying the department "has met its obligations" for improvements under an agreement with the Justice Department.

Assistant Police Chief James White tells the Detroit Free Press the city now has a "much more organized, constitutional police department."

In 2014, Cohn ended a sweeping 2003 decree that included oversight by a court-appointed monitor after the federal government found substantial compliance with the agreement to reduce excessive force, illegal arrests and improper detention in holding cells.

For the past 18 months, the government still was able to keep an eye on police by reviewing internal audits and other steps.

Published: Mon, Apr 04, 2016