Case: DOJ Investigation of Riverside Police Department

After the fatal police shooting of a black teenager on December 28, 1998, the Department of Justice launched a civil investigation into the Riverside Police Department's use of force and treatment of minorities on July 8, 1999. The investigation was conducted jointly with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. This partnership was likely due to the simultaneous announcement of the formation of a Civil Rights Section within the U.S. Attorney's Office with the launch of this investigation.

The offices began the investigation to determine whether the police department has engaged in a pattern or practice of law enforcement misconduct, including using excessive force and discriminating in the way it provides police services. This case was complicated by the fact the Riverside Police Department had been receiving financial assistance from the Justice Department, which made it additionally prohibited from engaging in discriminatory misconduct.

On March 5, 2001, the Office of the Attorney General filed a complaint and stipulated judgment in People of the State of California v. City of Riverside. The judgment, which remained in effect for a period of five years, required the Riverside Police Department to implement reforms in the areas of training, supervision, and accountability. The City of Riverside was required to pay the cost of a consultant to assist the Attorney General in monitoring compliance with the terms of the judgment.

On March 2, 2006, the Attorney General, after concluding that the Riverside Police Department had fulfilled the conditions of the judgment, requested and received formal approval from the court for the judgment's dissolution.

It does not appear that the Department of Justice took any further actions after the initial joint investigation.