Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Monitor blasts Detroit police

Department has made little progress in fixing unsafe precinct cells, quarterly report says.

By David Shepardson / The Detroit News

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DETROIT -- Two years after Detroit police promised to fix its unsafe precinct holding cells, the U.S. Justice Department says the facilities "continue to pose a potential dangerous situation for persons confined there."

In her quarterly report filed with the U.S. District Court on Monday, the independent monitor overseeing the department's compliance with two federal agreements reached more than two years ago again said the city had made little progress.

It has complied with only 8 out of 109 requirements.

The monitor noted that the city had skipped 33 of the 52 required audits. Of the 19 audits submitted by the city, 17 have been reviewed -- and 16 were found to be insufficient.

In June 2003, the Justice Department ended a 30-month investigation of the Police Department and filed two lawsuits citing repeated civil rights violations.

To settle the suits, the city signed two comprehensive agreements -- a five-year decree that covers police training and use of force, and a two-year agreement covering detention cells. It has since won an extension of the detention agreement, after it told U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook it won't be in compliance until at least 2007.

The federal oversight is expected to cost the city an estimated $7 million through 2008.

The monitor, Sheryl Robinson Wood, further disclosed in the report that the Justice Department sent the city a July 27 letter that raised serious concerns about the city's holding cells.

Last month, Detroit police closed six of its 12 precincts and stopped using many of the most outdated holding cells.

But there are still detention cells in precincts that are so dark that officers can't see people in the cells. "Such situations must be rectified immediately," the report said. James Tate, a Detroit second deputy chief, said the compliance rate is misleading. "It's black and white. We don't get points for partial compliance," Tate said.

He said the city has had negotiations with Wayne County on housing prisoners and said the department has made improvements for disabled prisoners.

You can reach David Shepardson at (313) 222-2028 or dshepardson@detnews.com.