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Information about the Department of Justice’s Consent Decree with the Newark Police Department

2021 Developments

February 4, 2021: Fourteenth quarterly report and Fifteenth quarterly report public conversation with the Independent Monitor to discuss these reports and the results of the Independent Monitor’s 2019 Community Survey.  Held virtually.

January 28, 2021: Fifteenth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from July 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020.


2020 Developments

September 28, 2020: Fourteenth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020.

June 16, 2020: Thirteenth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020.

April 27, 2020: Twelfth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from October 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.

April 27, 2020: Eleventh quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from July 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019.

February 5, 2020: Tenth quarterly report public conversation with the Independent Monitor at the St. John’s Community Baptist Church.

January 13, 2020: Tenth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from April 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019.


2019 Developments

November 19, 2019: Eighth quarterly report  and Ninth quarterly report  public conversation with the Independent Monitor at the Beulah Love Baptist Church.

October 25, 2019: Ninth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from January 1, 2019 through March 31, 2019.

August 9, 2019: Eighth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.

May 21, 2019: Seventh quarterly report public conversation with the Independent Monitor at the Salvation Army Newark Ironbound Corps.

April 16, 2019: Seventh quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from July 1, 2018 through September 30, 2018.

March 19, 2019:  Sixth quarterly report public conversation with the Independent Monitor at the New Hope Baptist Church.

January 16, 2019: Sixth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from April 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018.


2018 Developments

December 11, 2018: public conversation with the Independent Monitor about the Second-Year Re-Assessment at the Assembly of God Church.

October 12, 2018: Second-Year Reassessment

September 10, 2018: Fifth quarterly report public conversation with the Independent Monitor at the New Community Corporation.

June 28, 2018: Fifth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from January 1, 2018 through March 31, 2018

May 4, 2018: Fourth quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from October 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.

April 25, 2018Newark Police Division's series of community meetings in order to get feedback on its stop, search and arrest policies, as well as providing demonstrations on its body worn and in-car camera systems. The meetings were hosted by Captain Brian O’Hara of the Consent Decree and Planning Division.

  • Stop Policy - 505 S 15th St Jehovah Jireh Praise and Worship Center on Wednesday April 25, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
  • Body Worn & In Car Camera Demonstration- 400 Hawthorne Avenue, NAN Newark Tech World, Thursday April 26, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
  • Search Policy- 2 Grafton Avenue, The Waterfront Sports, Arts & Entertainment Center, Wednesday May 2, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  • Arrest Policy- 55 Prospect Street, Sport Club Portuguese, Wednesday May 9, 2018, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.


March 15, 2018: Public conversation with Independent Monitor Peter Harvey regarding the findings in his Third Quarterly Report. Event was held Thursday, March 15, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Willing Heart Community Care Center on 555 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Newark. 

January 15, 2018Third quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from June 1, 2017 through September 30, 2017.


2017 Developments


Nov. 20, 2017: Independent Monitor hosts a “meet the Monitor” event to discuss the Second Quarterly Report. Event was held at Jehovah-Jireh Praise & Worship Church Center at 505 South 15th Street, Newark, NJ 07103, between 6:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

October 6, 2017Second quarterly report released - covers the reporting period from Febuary 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017.

June 27, 2017: Community forum to Discuss NPD Use of Force & Bias-free Policing Policies - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at NAN Newark Tech World located at 400 Hawthorne Ave, Newark, NJ 07112. The Forum included panels featuring representatives from the NPD, the Independent Monitoring Team, and the Newark community, with public discussion afterwards. The NPD's use of force and bias-free policing policies can be found below, or at www.newarkpdmonitor.com.

June 19, 2017: Monitor's Presentation on the First Qurterly Report - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Stephan's Church, located at 7 Wilson Ave, Newark, NJ 07105. The first quarterly report covers the reporting period from July 12, 2016 through January 31, 2017. It provides the background and history of the Consent Decree, summarizes the Monitoring Team’s activities during the reporting period, and provides a status update on Newark and NPD’s progress towards implementing the requirements of the Consent Decree.

April 24, 2017: Independent Monitor of the Newark Police Division, Peter C. Harvey, and the Independent Monitoring Team released its first quarterly reportIt covers the reporting period from July 12, 2016 through January 31, 2017. 

February 24, 2017: The final version of the First-Year Monitoring Plan filed with the court. The plan, which was a joint effort between the Monitor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, the City of Newark and the Newark Police Division, is intended to be a road map to achieve compliance with the consent decree during its first year of implementation.


Summary and Resources

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (collectively “the DOJ”) issued a report in July 2014 finding a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing by the Newark Police Department and reached an agreement in principle with the City of Newark to undertake wide-ranging reforms within the Police Department. These included: selecting an independent court-appointed monitor and incorporating those reforms in a judicially enforceable consent decree.

The DOJ and the City of Newark then solicited applications from potential monitors. After receiving and reviewing 21 applications, interviewing potential monitors, and soliciting the input of members of the community in writing and in person at information sessions across the city, the DOJ and the City chose Peter C. Harvey, Esq., of Patterson Belknap, to serve as the court-appointed monitor.

The selection of Mr. Harvey was announced on March 30, 2016, in conjunction with the filing by the DOJ and the City of the fully negotiated consent decree in Newark federal court. On May 5, 2016, the court approved the monitor and entered the consent decree.

Other resources:

How to reach us

For more information about the Monitor: https://www.newarkpdmonitor.com

For more information about the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt/.

If you have a federal civil rights complaint specific to New Jersey, please direct it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey civil rights complaint hotline at 855-281-3339 or submit a written complaint to http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.

Updated February 19, 2021