Mass Liberation AZ

It Took the DOJ 3 Years to Tell Us What We Already Know

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice released its report on the Phoenix Police Department following a nearly three year long investigation. 

Mass Liberation Arizona issued the following statement in response:

We are not the least bit surprised by the findings in the Department of Justice (DOJ) report on the Phoenix Police Department (PPD). The report offers no new revelations; it merely reiterates the problems the community has voiced for years before the DOJ arrived.

The mayor and the city have consistently covered up police violence and blocked accountability for their own political gain. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) wields inappropriate influence over the city council, effectively co-governing and dictating city policies. Additionally, the DOJ’s failure to include the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) in their investigation demonstrates a shortsightedness that is inexcusable—or perhaps intentional.

This report’s findings are a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for police and prosecutor accountability and that little has changed since the 2020 uprising for Black lives. We never needed the DOJ to tell us the problems. The resources spent on this report are a waste of time and money, further traumatizing the community in the process. We must never forget that the DOJ is a law enforcement agency, and police policing each other will never end police violence. The DOJ’s failure to acknowledge the root causes of police violence and institutional collusion makes clear their incompetence and reminds us that solutions must be generated by the community, not cops. 

We restate our demands to the DOJ:

  1. Center those most directly impacted by Phoenix PD’s harms**: Any strategies for policy accountability must prioritize the voices and needs of the community members who have suffered the most
  2. Bind the powers of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office**: The MCAO must be prevented from colluding with the city and its police department to ensure accountability.
  3. Reduce the size and scope of the Phoenix Police Department**: Comprehensive cutbacks resulting in a significant downsizing of the PPD to reduce its capacity for harm.
  4. Issue reparations to the community**: The community deserves reparations for the trauma and harms inflicted upon it by the PPD.