The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) has issued a response to the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) recent findings regarding the Trenton Police Department (TPD). The DOJ's investigation uncovered significant misconduct within the department, including violations of the Fourth Amendment, excessive use of force, and unwarranted stops, searches, and arrests.
The investigation highlighted deficiencies in training, supervision, policy, and accountability within TPD. These issues have not only damaged trust between the police and the community but have also resulted in over $7 million in costs for Trenton due to lawsuits related to officer misconduct since 2021.
Amol Sinha, Executive Director of ACLU-NJ, commented on the findings: “The DOJ’s findings of widespread abuse within the Trenton Police Department confirm what the city community has been saying for decades: officers engage in rampant misconduct with impunity, and at an immense human cost."
Sinha emphasized gratitude towards the DOJ for their thorough investigation and urged it to be a starting point for establishing accountability systems in Trenton. He stated that New Jersey needs to rethink its approach to policing by enhancing internal affairs systems, modernizing training practices, implementing comprehensive accountability measures, and enabling community oversight.
He further called on lawmakers to abandon ineffective tough-on-crime strategies and focus on legislation that promotes transparency and accountability. This includes making police disciplinary records public, granting subpoena power to civilian complaint review boards, limiting deadly force use strictly, and ending qualified immunity so officers can be held accountable for misconduct.
Sinha concluded by asserting that "achieving meaningful accountability of police officers to the communities they’re meant to serve requires sweeping reform – New Jerseyans deserve nothing less.”
