Gov't Finds Police Discrimination

(NewsCore) - The U.S. Justice Department issued a scathing report Monday that chronicles what it says are numerous violations of the civil rights of Latinos by the police department in East Haven, Conn.

The rebuke of East Haven police was released just a week after the Justice Department blasted the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona for unlawfully discriminating against Hispanics.

The federal government also said last week that it has concerns about discrimination in the Seattle Police Department in a report that found its officers have engaged in a pattern of unconstitutionally using excessive force during arrests.

The Justice Department's report says that a two-year investigation revealed that the East Haven Police Department disproportionately targeted Latinos for traffic stops and uncovered serious incidents of abuse of authority and retaliations against individuals who criticized the department's practices against Hispanics.

The Hartford Courant reported that six to 15 police officers may be arrested for civil rights violations and the city of East Haven is working on contingency plans for a reduced number of available officers.

The arrests were not expected to be announced Monday.

East Haven, 68 miles northeast of New York City, is a suburb of New Haven, Conn., the home of the prestigious Yale University, and has a population of nearly 30,000.

The report blames the department's systemic discrimination against Latinos on deficiencies in management and the lack of oversight and accountability systems.

The Justice Department also said that it noted allegations of the use of excessive force and unconstitutional searches and seizures by the department, but did not make a formal finding of fact on these issues.

Thomas Perez, the fiery head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, announced Monday's report.

"These findings show that the East Haven Police Department systematically violated the constitutional rights of people it is supposed to serve and protect," Perez said. "By failing to have in place the most basic systems designed to protect individuals from unlawful discrimination, EHPD has fallen short of its obligations."

In light of the report, the Justice Department is requiring the department to implement training on non-bias policing techniques and to create a database on police stops aimed at exposing future discrimination.

"The residents of East Haven should not have to choose between effective crime-fighting and constitutional policing," US Attorney David Fein said.

The department has not yet publicly commented on the report.

The Justice Department's recent reports on police discrimination against Latinos have come as the Obama administration is suing several states over their tough new immigration laws.

The Supreme Court announced earlier this month that it would decide on whether Arizona's immigration law is constitutional by the end of June.

Read More: Hartford Courant