SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday it will examine use of force and ethnic disparities in arrests as part of a review of the San Francisco Police Department amid heightened racial tensions.
Unlike investigations by the DOJ’s civil rights division, the review will be voluntary and won’t end with a court-monitored legal settlement.
San Francisco’s mayor, police chief and others requested the review expected to take about two years and include public reports every six months.
The review will be done by DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which promotes improvements to officers’ ties with communities.
“In the days and months ahead, we will examine the San Francisco Police Department’s current operational policies, training practices, and accountability systems, and help identify key areas for improvement going forward,” U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.