Trenton officers used excessive force and conducted wrongful stops, searches, and arrests, federal prosecutors allege after a yearlong probe.
A New Jersey city and its police department show a pattern of misconduct that violates people’s constitutional rights through excessive force and unlawful arrests, the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a new report.
After a yearlong investigation in Trenton, the DOJ published a 45-page report on Nov. 21 saying the police misconduct included unreasonable use of physical force and pepper spray, and wrongful searches and arrests during pedestrian and traffic stops, while the city failed to hold the department accountable or facilitate better training.
The Epoch Times contacted the city and its police department for comment.
The DOJ said that since 2021, Trenton has paid over $7 million in lawsuits over allegations of misconduct.
“Some Trentonians have lost faith in their police department due to these continued failures,” the report stated. “Members of the public have told us they avoid any interaction with the police because they fear the police will violate their rights or will make a bad situation worse.”
The DOJ said Trenton is one of New Jersey’s poorest cities, with a population of 89,620 that is policed by 260 officers. Over