The Justice Department just ended a review of the Memphis Police Department with no explanation

Memphis Police Department.
(Image credit: Chris Desmond/Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it is ending its review of the Memphis Police Department, which was requested last year by the city's Democratic mayor and police director. "The Department of Justice's [Office of Community Oriented Policing Services] will no longer proceed with the collaborative reform process with the City of Memphis and Memphis Police Department," the official statement read. It did not include an explanation for why the review was being halted.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has, in the past, questioned policy reports published by the DOJ, calling "some" investigations into the police departments in Chicago and Ferguson, Missouri, "pretty anecdotal and not so scientifically based."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.