U.S. sues Columbus cops over abusesCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department sued the Columbus Police Department yesterday, accusing it of a pattern of civil-rights abuses that included excessive force, false arrests and improper searches.
The government said it reviewed more than 300 complaints before making Columbus only the third U.S. city to be threatened with a lawsuit by the department's Civil Rights Division un'der a 1994 federal law.
Steubenville, Ohio, and Pittsburgh reached agreements known as consent decrees in which they. promised to correct problems in the training, supervision and discipline of officers.
The lawsuit against the 1,700 member Columbus force demands improvements in the train
ing and supervision of police officers and the investigation of civilian complaints.
Among other things, the Justice Department. accused the Columbus department of falsely arresting or charging people who saw police misconduct or were believed likely to complain of misconduct.
"These are serious allegations, but that's all they are," said City Attorney Janet Jackson. She said she doesn't believe the Justice Department can prove a pattern of abusive conduct.
Fraternal Order of Police President William Capretta said the union is willing to negotiate a settlement, but not in the form of a consent decree - an agreement that would grant the federal government oversight authority.
"A consent decree is the federal government running our Police department," Capretta said yesterday. "They need to prove to us Columbus is such a bad town that they have to watch
US."
The lawsuit was filed the day after the local Fraternal Order of Police rejected a settlement, proposal approved in August by the city and the Justice Department.
The Justice Department asked
the court to take no action until Dec. 20 to allow allow time for negoti ations with the union.
In the proposed settlement, the city would not have admitted any wrongdoing. Among other things, the settlement called for improved police training and appointment of an independent monitor.