Public trust in Newark police remains fragile nearly a decade into a court-appointed consent decree that forced sweeping reforms of the department. This reality shaped a community forum this week, where residents voiced frustration and skepticism about lasting, effective change.
On Tuesday night at St. John’s Community Baptist Church, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and the Independent Monitoring Team convened Newark residents, advocates, and police officials to discuss the status of the consent decree—a court-ordered agreement dating back to 2016, after the U.S. Department of Justice found widespread unconstitutional practices within the Newark Police Department.
“This is a conversation that’s nearly 60 years old, going back to the Newark Rebellion, when people fought for that kind of transformed relationship to build one that did not exist,” Gilmore said in a statement. “And in the last nine years of this consent decree, tremendous strides have been made in that regard.”
The consent decree originated from the American Civil Liberties Union’s 2010 petition for the Department of Justice to investigate the NPD following hundreds of complaints of police misconduct and mistreatment toward Newark citizens.
In 2014, the DOJ outlined multiple cases of unconstitutional policing by the NPD. Violations include theft of property, unlawful stops and arrests, excessive force, and retaliation against individuals exercising their First Amendment rights.
The City of Newark entered into the consent decree in 2016, forcing the NPD to implement widespread reforms under the supervision of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the DOJ, and an Independent Monitor.
The District Court appointed former state Attorney General Peter C. Harvey as Independent Monitor in 2016. Harvey was present at the consent decree meeting to walk the public through how he and his team of experts oversaw police compliance and reforms across various practices.
According to Harvey’s final report, during the consent decree period, the NPD “comprehensively restructured its policies, procedures, and training protocols,” constructing a new officer training facility and recommitting to “meaningful civilian oversight and community engagement.”
The NPD also created and implemented citywide body and car camera programs, as well as a bias-free policing policy to reduce racial disparities in Newark. The report found “fewer instances of excessive and fewer improper police stops” as a result.
Despite these numerous reforms, Newark residents still display the public’s lack of trust and confidence in the NPD and criminal justice in Newark, as described in Harvey’s report.
Newark locals expressed their anger, frustration, and disappointment in the NPD, recounting their negative, traumatic experiences with the misconduct, injustice, and lack of accountability displayed by the city’s police.
One attendee stated, “The police are the enemy in our community,” due to the NPD’s history of misconduct disproportionately targeting Black residents, and that there can’t be true reform without police accountability.
Lawrence Hamm, chair of the People’s Organization for Progress, likened the consent decree’s work in overseeing police compliance and reform to someone putting pressure on the brake. That begs the question: What happens when that pressure is removed?
The consent decree will be brought before the District Court for a hearing, taking place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Building and U.S. Courthouse on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. in downtown Newark. While certain provisions of the consent decree were terminated in May 2024, this court hearing will determine whether the entire Decree will remain in effect.
Whatever the outcome, Newark residents and advocates made it clear that the NPD must continue to make significant reforms to ensure legal, constitutional policing and restore public faith in law enforcement.
When addressing the consent decree’s possible termination, Leonardo Carrillo, Newark Deputy Director of Police Operations, says that this is an opportunity for Newark to work with the city police to continue improving the NPD.
“We work with the community in terms of outreach, in terms of our policies, and we have to come up with innovative ways to continue this work,” Carrillo said in a statement. “This work must continue. Great reform doesn’t end. It can’t end. We have to be better.”
“Stay engaged with the police,” Harvey said in his closing statement. “And when you have issues, talk to the police leadership…. And if an officer does something that you think violates policy, report it to Internal Affairs. I can tell you that it does make a difference…. If the police managers don’t know about an officer’s behavior, they can’t correct it. So don’t let it go.”