U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a review of previous police reform agreements to ensure they align with the new administration’s principles, according to a memo published Monday.
“It is not the responsibility of the federal government to manage non-federal law enforcement agencies,” Sessions wrote. “The misdeeds of individual bad actors should not impugn or undermine the legitimate and honorable work that law enforcement officers and agencies perform in keeping American communities safe.”
Reform agreements had been reached during the Obama administration with cities including Baltimore and Chicago. Investigations into these cities found practices of systemic racism that were not limited to “individual bad actors.”
