U.S. Department
of Justice
Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the City of Trenton, New Jersey, and the Trenton Police Department
On October 17, 2023, the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey (collectively, DOJ) opened a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Trenton (the City) and the Trenton Police Department (TPD). We conducted the investigation pursuant to our authority under 34 U.S.C. § 12601. The investigation was led by the Department’s Civil Rights Division and conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
On November 21, 2024, we released the results of our investigation. We found reasonable cause to believe that TPD: (1) uses excessive force, including unreasonable forms of physical force and pepper spray; and (2) unlawfully stops, search, and arrests people during pedestrian and traffic stops. We also found persistent deficiencies in TPD’s accountability systems, supervision, and training processes that directly contribute to constitutional violations.
During our investigation, we heard from many people in Trenton. Without these important perspectives, we could not have completed this investigation with the integrity and thoroughness it deserved. We thank everybody who took the time to share their experiences and perspectives with our team.
DOJ is committed to working with the City and TPD to address and remedy the harms we identified during our investigation.
Input from community members and stakeholders throughout Trenton will be critical to the success of reforms, and we welcome your suggestions and ideas. You can share your experiences and ideas by contacting our community inbox via email at USANJ.Community.Trenton@usdoj.gov or by leaving a voice message at (973) 645-2801.
The report detailing our findings is available here: http://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1377746/dl
You can report civil rights violations regarding other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights reporting portal at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement
TPD Investigation Flyer
TPD Findings Flyer (English)
FAQ on Findings Report (English)
FAQ on Findings Report (Spanish)
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