Remarks of United States Attorney Todd Gee Announcing a Pattern or Practice Investigation of the City of Lexington, Mississippi and the Lexington, Mississippi Police Department

Thank you, Assistant Attorney General Clarke.  Also, I thank you all for being here for this important announcement.

All of us in Mississippi and throughout the nation want to feel safe in our homes and in public.  But we want that safety to be obtained fairly and legally, not through illegal force or abuse of power. 

Make no mistake:  good police work is done legally and fairly every day in many places in America and in Mississippi.  The investigation we announce today will ensure that the residents of Lexington, Mississippi are receiving the same from their police force.

The allegations of what has happened in Lexington are serious.  I have been to Lexington, and I have met with members of the community.  A thorough investigation of the Lexington police department is necessary.  The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our colleagues in the Civil Rights Division to follow the facts wherever they lead us.  We look forward to hearing more from the people of Lexington as we conduct our investigation. 

This is the first day of that investigation, and we do not pre-judge the outcome.  But if we do find the Lexington police are engaging in a pattern or practice of civil rights violations, I hope we will arrive at remedies that ensure Lexington will have a police force that fights crime, protects the community’s civil rights, and serves as a good example for small law enforcement agencies in rural communities throughout Mississippi and the nation.

Let me add that we maintain tools for all residents of the Southern District of Mississippi to report allegations of civil rights violations.  To make a report, please call the United States Attorney’s Office’s civil rights hotline at 601.973.2825.  You can also find our civil rights complaint form and email address on our website.

Finally, I want to thank Assistant Attorney General Clarke for her leadership and the Civil Rights Division for their work on this matter.  We look forward to our continued partnership with them.  Thank you.