The Department of Justice launched its probe after dozens of text messages containing racist and homophobic slurs and other discriminatory language from Antioch police officers between 2019 and 2022 were uncovered by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office as part of a larger investigation.
“Fair and non-discriminatory policing is fundamental to effective law enforcement, especially for those agencies that receive federal funding,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In working with the Justice Department to institute policing reform, Antioch Police Department sends a strong message that the discrimination and misconduct that prompted this investigation will not be tolerated. The agreement we have secured will ensure that Antioch’s policing practices are free from discrimination in the road ahead — the community deserves nothing less.”
“In working with the Justice Department to institute policing reform, Antioch Police Department sends a strong message that the discrimination and misconduct that prompted this investigation will not be tolerated,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in Friday’s announcement.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also launched an investigation into Antioch’s police department in 2023.
The Department of Justice specifically investigated Antioch Police Department’s compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the nondiscrimination provisions of the Safe Streets Act. Title VI and the Safe Streets Act collectively prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion by recipients of federal financial assistance like the Antioch police department.
