The Detroit News
DETROIT (AP) -- A federal judge has criticized the Detroit Police Department for what he says is slow progress toward improving respect for the rights of suspects and has given officials a Sept. 10 deadline to say when they will make promised changes.
U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. said Wednesday that police have done too little to fix inadequate holding cells and take other steps included in a deal that followed a 30-month federal civil rights investigation.
“I’m extremely disappointed with what has and has not happened,” Cook said. “I do question the commitment of the city to meet its obligations.”
In June 2003, the Justice Department filed two lawsuits citing repeated civil rights violations.
To settle the suits, the city signed a five-year decree that covers police training and use of force, and a two-year agreement covering detention cells.
In July, police asked the judge to give them two more years to comply with a promise to improve holding cells, saying they lacked money for the improvements.
Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings told The Detroit News that Detroit remains committed to complying with the agreements but said Cook spoke without having all the information about the city’s progress.
“I appreciate the judges efforts, but I don’t think they reflect the reality of what is going on,” she said.