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At the press conference announcing the federal consent decree that is to bind the Minneapolis Police Department, Assistant Attorney General Kirsten Clarke implied that such decrees improve police performance. She specifically cited a few consent decrees in her comments at about 14:55-17:15 of the press conference video that I included in “Is it something I didn’t say?” and reposted at the bottom.

Here are my notes on what Clarke had to sy in that brief span preceded by a link to the applicable consent decree and the date entered:

Seattle entered into a consent decree governing its police department in 2012. According to Clarke, the Seattle department reduced use of force in “crisis incidents” to less than 2 percent of such incidents and the majority of force used is now at a low level.

Portland entered into a consent decree in 2021. According to Clarke, the Portland department has significantly reduced the use of tasers and, when used, the police comply with police and national standards.

Newark entered into a consent decree in May 2016. According to Clarke, Newark officers now conduct stops in compliance with constitutional standards and crime is down 40 percent since the decree was entered. [Note: Newark’s crime rate appears to have peaked in 2013 and declined since then.]

Albuquerque entered into a consent decree in 2014. According to Clarke, 5 percent of call volume is now diverted to civilian responders.

New Orleans entered into a consent decree in 2012. According to Clarke, the police department went from a high of 22 “critical incidents” in 2012 to 5 in 2023.

In short, Clarke spewed a hodgepodge of miscellaneous facts making out approximately nothing — and this was her own best case for the virtues of police consent decrees.