The Justice Department announced today an agreement with the Antioch, California, Police Department (APD) and the City of Antioch to resolve an investigation of race discrimination and other discriminatory conduct by APD officers against members of the public in Antioch.
The department launched its investigation after the public disclosure of discriminatory text communications that dozens of APD personnel allegedly exchanged between September 2019 and January 2022. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California jointly investigated APD’s compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the nondiscrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (Safe Streets Act). Title VI and the Safe Streets Act collectively prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion by recipients of federal financial assistance, such as APD.
“Fair and non-discriminatory policing is fundamental to effective law enforcement, especially for those agencies that receive federal funding,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In working with the Justice Department to institute policing reform, Antioch Police Department sends a strong message that the discrimination and misconduct that prompted this investigation will not be tolerated. The agreement we have secured will ensure that Antioch’s policing practices are free from discrimination in the road ahead — the community deserves nothing less.”
“Law enforcement is only effective when it inspires public confidence,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “A police department that discriminates based on race and other protected classes undermines both public safety and public confidence. Today’s agreement will help ensure that policing in Antioch is done constitutionally and will help restore public trust.”
In response to the investigation, APD, the City of Antioch and the City Manager worked cooperatively with the department to reach a resolution agreement embodying a commitment to nondiscrimination in APD’s policing operations and advancing its ongoing efforts to prevent and address discriminatory law enforcement practices.
Under the agreement, APD will hire an expert law enforcement consultant jointly selected by the parties to review and update APD’s policies, procedures and training on a variety of topics, including non-discriminatory policing, use of force, hiring and promotions, investigations of misconduct, discipline, community policing, language access, and other topics. The agreement contemplates a role for the Antioch Police Oversight Commission and sets forth a framework for data collection and reporting for a five-year period of departmental monitoring, among other provisions.
Nondiscrimination under Title VI and the Safe Streets Act is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
UPDATE – Antioch Police Department Statement
City of Antioch Enters Settlement Agreement with U.S. Department of Justice to Strengthen Police Accountability
Antioch, California – We are pleased to announce the City of Antioch is has entered into a stipulated settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). This agreement follows their investigation into the Antioch Police Department’s use-of-force practices and a texting scandal that surfaced last year.
The actions that prompted this investigation were unacceptable and failures occurred. The City of Antioch is fully committed to ensuring that such incidents never occur again.
Our collaboration with the USDOJ underscores our dedication to fostering trust, transparency, and accountability within our Police Department. Under this five-year agreement, we will implement and enhance comprehensive policies, practices, training programs, community engagement initiatives, and oversight mechanisms to ensure that officers uphold integrity and fairness while addressing misconduct swiftly and effectively.
We acknowledge that trust is earned, not given, and this agreement marks a meaningful step forward. We also remain fully cooperative with the California Department of Justice (CADOJ), which is conducting an independent pattern-and-practice investigation into the Department.
Our commitment to creating a transparent, accountable, and community-focused Police Department remains steadfast. We will continue to serve the residents of Antioch with honor, respect, and fairness.
For more information about the agreement, please visit: Justice Department Press Release
Previous
- Nov 12, 2024 – Attorney Alleges Prosecutorial Misconduct in Take Down of Antioch Police Officer
- April 21, 2023 – Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Antioch Police After Racist Texts and Targeting
- Aug 18, 2023 – DA Charges Antioch and Pittsburg Police Officers with Obstruction of Justice and Bribery
- Aug 17, 2023 – Antioch and Pittsburg Police Officers Charged With Various Crimes
- May 22, 2023 – Antioch POA Attorney Calls Out Mayor and Vice Mayor for Inciting “Mob Justice” — Editors Note – the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office declined this publications public records request for all text messages, not the prepared and edited release by Inspect Larry Wallace—estimated at 200+ pages of documents, not the edited and prepackaged 35 pages already released of Antioch Police Officers. They also denied the release of text messages they have from 2021 regarding Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe and City Clerk Ellie Householder.
- April 21, 2023 – Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Antioch Police After Racist Texts and Targeting
- April 17, 2023 – Updated: Second DA Report Leaked Includes Antioch Police Text Messages
- April 13, 2023 – Contra Costa DA Releases Antioch Police Text Messages
3 comments
Interesting timing of this announcement.
A step in the right direction. All it took was sending Thorpe down the road!
They don’t like to talk about how multiple officers had their charges dropped by contra costa county failed to do a proper investigation and never collected evidence that later cleared them. They dont want those case to go forward because inspector Wallace admitted during a deposition that he didn’t know what the elements to a crime were. They would have lost the case and inspector Wallace would have made the Brady list
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