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LDF Submits Written Comments on the Implementation of the Ferguson Consent Decree

Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. submitted written comments to the court on the state of the implementation of the Ferguson, MO Consent Decree. For the past seven years, LDF has worked with and supported community members and activists in Ferguson and St. Louis, Missouri to advance laws, policies, and practices that improve police accountability and public safety, including the creation, implementation, and monitoring of the consent decree. The letter includes the following comments and recommendations:

  • The lack of notice and transparency in recent use of force policy revisions undermines the consent decree and sows mistrust in its processes. 
  • LDF urges the Parties and Monitor to prioritize community engagement and transparency. To restore community trust, the Parties and Monitor should establish a clear process to ensure that residents may access the latest versions of Ferguson Police Department (FPD) finalized policies. The process should include a designated timeframe for residents to review and provide comments on recent and future changes.
  • The Ferguson Police Department has failed to implement any in-service trainings in the five years since the consent decree’s implementation. This failure calls for a revision to the consent decree training process and court intervention.

Read the full letter here.

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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