The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the city of Yonkers separately announced on Dec. 3 that the DOJ and the city have successfully terminated an agreement designed to improve policing practices in the city. The agreement began in 2016 and grew out of a DOJ investigation into policing in the city. The agreement required the Yonkers Police Department (YPD) to improve its policies and practices regarding the use of force, stops, searches, arrests, the protection of First Amendment rights, misconduct investigations and discipline, and community policing.
In 2007, the DOJ began investigating the YPD for an alleged pattern or practice of excessive force and discriminatory policing. The agreement between the city and the DOJ resulted in changes in practices and procedures used by the YPD.
“What we have accomplished has changed the hearts and minds of the Justice Department,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “We applaud our police department but also the efforts of our community. By partnering together, we are able to make a difference for our residents, their quality of life and how our community interacts and engages with our police officers.”
According to Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza, “Over the course of this agreement, we initiated more than forty community programs, which are still in place today. The Yonkers Police Department is and will remain a community-based Police Department putting the citizens of Yonkers first.”
The YPD was recognized by the Department of Justice for its improvements in the constitutionality and effectiveness of its policing including a 22% reduction in violent crime over the last five years, a significant reduction of excessive force settlements and decreased allegations of unlawful uses of force.
The DOJ said that over the past eight years, “the city and YPD have implemented all of the reforms required by the agreement and sustained those reforms for more than a year.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “The success of Yonkers and the Yonkers Police Department under this agreement demonstrates the fundamental truth that fair, constitutional and effective policing can enhance public safety and promote trust between police and the community they are sworn to protect and serve.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York said, “Since the commencement of our investigation in 2007, the Yonkers Police Department has worked assiduously and cooperatively to implement significant reforms, which ensure that its officers are well trained, well informed and guided on appropriate uses of force, and that a thorough and robust review system is in place to identify potentially problematic incidents, officers, training and tactics.”
DOJ said that over the period the agreement was in place, YPD’s Internal Affairs Department dramatically improved its average times to complete critical use-of-force investigations from 245 days in 2019 down to 69 days in 2023. It also significantly reduced its average times for completing civilian misconduct complaint investigations from 236 days in 2019 to 72 days in 2023.
