On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, the City of Ferguson released a proposed consent decree with the Department of Justice (DOJ) resulting from a “pattern and practice” investigation undertaken by the DOJ in the wake of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager, by Ferguson police officers in 2014. The consent decree, consisting of over 100 pages, constitutes a potential agreement between Ferguson and the DOJ on changes to the police department and police procedures in the city. Ferguson has announced that it will accept written comments and also hold public hearings on the proposed decree on February 2nd, 6th and 9th. A vote on whether to approve the decree will be held on February 9th.
“We are eager to complete our review of the proposed consent decree in partnership with residents of Ferguson to ensure that their policing concerns have been adequately addressed,” said Monique Dixon, LDF’s Deputy Policy Director and Senior Counsel. “We appreciate the opportunity to discuss and share our analysis prior to the deadline for comments.”
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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 and 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. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
