Dr. Travis Yates has spoken several times about the DOJ Investigation in Phoenix and in this episode of the Roll Call Room Podcast, he details the actions that Phoenix should take now.
As Yates explains, consent decrees are the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) method for reforming local law enforcement agencies but their idea of reform is vastly different than what the community expects.
Yates contends that the federal government, under the 10th amendment, has no right to intervene in local jurisdictions, including law enforcement.
He describes consent decrees as costly and enduring, with some lasting up to 25 years and costing cities hundreds of millions of dollars. Consent decrees lead to increased crime, lower morale, and reduced recruitment within police departments.
Yates discusses how consent decrees are often politically motivated and financially beneficial for certain individuals involved, particularly the monitors and details how the lack of transparency is embedded within how the DOJ operates including their refusal to release full investigation reports, opting instead to present summaries, which are misleading.
You can read other articles that Dr. Yates has written about consent decrees here.
