PHOENIX, AZ - On Tuesday, July 2nd, the Arizona Police Association (APA) and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell held a press conference regarding the Department of Justice's (DOJ) recent report on the Phoenix Police Department (PPD). 

According to Fox 10, both the APA and Mitchell expressed their disgust with the report. APA President Justin Harris said in a statement, "We have combed through the report and are appalled. It is highly irresponsible and offensive for the Department of Justice to make allegations that have zero insight about the incidents they are reporting on."

12News reported that during the press conference, Mitchell said, "Everyone needs to recognize that the carpetbaggers from the Department of Justice are not the solution. You've heard the expression a solution in search of a problem. Well, the DOJ is a problem in search of a problem." Harris added, "I've heard a lot about defunding police. How about we defund the Department of Justice and send them back to DC."

The report, which consisted of 126 pages, was released in the month of June. In the report, the DOJ said that PPD "discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, unlawfully detains homeless people and uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force."

After the report was published, the assistant attorney general said that the DOJ findings revealed what she called "long-standing dysfunction" in the PPD, adding that Phoenix police officers "routinely violate the civil rights of protesters and the homeless, while discriminating against people of color."

Mitchell, who also questioned the report's conclusions, said, "We already know of quotes that they have used in their report that actually are not backed up by actual recording that they took. At best, this report is nothing more than a politically-driven document prepared by a federal agency focused on undermining local law enforcement."

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor concurs with the DOJ's report, saying that it is "time for accountability." He said in a statement, "I don't believe this is a smear campaign. I believe this is many people who have spoken out — homeless people, people of color, mentally ill people who have spoken out, wanting change, and you have mass evidence based on lawsuits that we have filed ourselves that show that the Phoenix Police Department has violated people's rights."

Taylor has filed more than one law suit against PPD and suggests that the city sign a consent decree, with the police department being overseen by a judge and a DOJ-appointed monitor to implement changes. He said, "The reason why you don't want the department to look over themselves is because it's like the wolf guarding the henhouse."

Phoenix city officials oppose a consent decree, suggesting they would not sign one. Mitchell and Harris don't want to see PPD experience a similar fate of other cities like Seattle and New Orleans, cities they say have seen spikes in violent crime after the DOJ got involved with overseeing their police departments. Mitchell said, "Oversight of the Phoenix Police Department should remain with Chief Michael Sullivan and the city council, which answers to the voters."

She added, "The men and women of Phoenix Police, who put their lives on the line every single day for us, deserve our gratitude and not our condemnation."

PPD spokesperson Ryan Cody issued a statement on the matter, which says, "City staff is currently identifying the events outlined in the DOJ's report and assessing the recommended improvements, as requested by the Mayor and Phoenix City Council. We look forward to continued and collaborative discussions with the residents of Phoenix, City employees, and the DOJ with the goal of developing solutions that work best for our community."