Decade-Long Effort To Reform Newark Police Paid Off, New Report Says

NEWARK, NJ — It didn’t fix everything – but it made a big impact on Newark. That’s a local advocacy group’s analysis of a decade-long campaign to reform the police department of New Jersey’s largest city.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) released a report that takes a look at a landmark agreement between the federal government and Newark. View the full report here.

In 2016, federal authorities and the City of Newark reached a settlement involving longstanding allegations that the Newark Police Department “eroded public confidence” by unconstitutionally harassing minority residents, particularly African-Americans.

The Justice Department found that Newark’s police officers had no legal basis for 75 percent of their pedestrian stops from 2009 to 2012, which were used disproportionately against Black people. In addition, Newark police had allegedly been detaining innocent people for acts like “milling,” “loitering” or “wandering.”

As part of the decree, Newark agreed to make a sweeping series of reforms to its police department, including changes to training, use-of-force policies, community outreach and disciplinary procedures.

A judge ended the consent decree last November, saying that the city has done its part and is in “substantial compliance.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed that Newark has turned over a new leaf.

“Over the last decade, the Newark Police Division has made tremendous improvements to ensure constitutional policing and to increase community trust,” former U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said.

“The men and women of NPD should be proud of what they accomplished, and we appreciate the hard work they do every day to keep the people of Newark safe,” Habba said.

>> Read More: Newark Police Decree Dismissed, Feds Cite 'Tremendous Improvements'

‘REFORM ROOTED IN JUSTICE’

According to the NJISJ – which is based in Newark and served on an independent monitoring team overseeing the reform process – the consent decree was a “solid foundation for a work in progress.”

The nonprofit’s report examines previous examples of police brutality in Newark that go back to the riots of 1967, which some people in the Brick City are now calling a “rebellion.”

During the nine years that Newark spent under the consent decree, the police department rolled out new policies addressing stops, search and arrests, use of force, investigation of misconduct, officer discipline, and the use of in-car and body-worn cameras.

It made a difference, advocates say.

“Although there is still work to be done, the consent decree stands as an example of what disciplined, community-centered reform can achieve,” said Surraya Johnson, director of the Criminal Justice Reform Program at the NJISJ.

“It shows that constitutional policing is possible, that trust can be built, and that meaningful change can occur when a city is serious about transformation,” Johnson added.

“Newark’s reckoning began with violence,” Johnson continued. “The consent decree marked a push toward accountability. Now it’s up to the people of Newark to ensure accountability from Newark police.”

Another local advocate, Larry Hamm of the People’s Organization for Progress, also said the consent decree was a big step in the right direction.

“The Newark consent decree proved what our community has been saying for decades: When police are finally held accountable to the people they serve – and when the voices of Black people in Newark are taken seriously – change is possible,” Hamm said.

“It did not solve everything,” he said. “But it showed that reform rooted in justice, community power and vigilance can begin to change the culture of even the most resistant systems.”

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• Related: Newark Police Sees Less Citizen Complaints 1 Year After Civil Rights Settlement
• Related: Newark Can’t Sidestep Unions As It Reforms Its Police Department, Court Rules
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