> The current justice department will not such consent decrees
Well, plus the current administration outright abandoned investigations and publicly stated that it opposed the idea of investigating local law enforcement for systematic issues. It's not just an issue of neglecting an important tool of enforcement when the department now fairly overtly opposes the idea of enforcement.
To the extent that it is a systemic problem in Minneapolis, self-investigation would be compromised. Could Ferguson have investigated itself? Sure, and it did. Unsurprisingly, that investigation by the system that the federal investigations found deeply and thoroughly broken somehow missed the problems with the same system that the federal investigation found.
But, yes, and the State of Minnesota could also investigate.
Hire outside investigators, appoint/deputize independent lawyers to be special prosecutors, etc.
Most states of cities with police problems have very strong civil rights laws (often stronger than federal protections) -- they have the legal tools to make real change happen.
They don't need the DOJ to fix their problems. Relying on the DOJ makes sense if the local government is supportive of the bad policing -- like back in the civil rights/segregation era. Some states would not comply so the feds had to make things happen. You don't have that situation today.
> Hire outside investigators, appoint/deputize independent lawyers to be special prosecutors, etc.
And if it's a systemic problem in the local government, both the choices of the “independent” investigators and the shopping of their remit, and the decision of whether to do it at all will be affected by the systemic problem.
> Most states of cities with police problems have very strong civil rights laws (often stronger than federal protections.
Which helps not at all when the people and institutions responsible for enforcing the law are part of the problem.
Vote those people out then. I know it is easier said than done, but I don't hear too many calling for the mayor of Minneapolis or city council members to be recalled.
Someone in the staff advocated for the current police contract, why not start by firing them?
Or maybe the problem is not as important to local progressive governments as it is being to made out to be?
Well, plus the current administration outright abandoned investigations and publicly stated that it opposed the idea of investigating local law enforcement for systematic issues. It's not just an issue of neglecting an important tool of enforcement when the department now fairly overtly opposes the idea of enforcement.