Justice Dept. will 'pull back' on monitoring troubled police agencies

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions painted a grim vision of violence in the United States, telling state law enforcement officials that a recent uptick in killings threatens to undo decades of progress and suggesting police would be more effective if they were subjected to less federal scrutiny.

In his first major policy speech, Sessions said Tuesday that his Justice Department would continue to prosecute officers for wrongdoing, but suggested federal civil rights investigations could hinder their effectiveness. “So we’re going to try to pull back on this. I don’t think it’s wrong or mean or insensitive to civil rights or human rights,” he said.

http://www.startribune.com/justice-dept-will-pull-back-on-monitoring-troubled-police-agencies/415116814/