DENVER (AP) — Justice Department officials say they have agreed to review the Commerce City Police Department after a series of misconduct cases.
Officials on Wednesday will announce plans for the review by the agency's Office of Community Policing Services. Officials in the suburban Denver city requested the study in July, saying incidents involving several officers had undermined public trust.
One officer staged his own shooting last year. Another was charged with unlawful sexual contact after being accused of touching three women during early morning traffic stops.
Such voluntary reviews are considered less of a stigma for a troubled department than patterns and practices investigations undertaken by civil rights investigators, which can lead to an overhaul in policies and protocols as well as court-enforceable agreements between the police force and the federal government.
