Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers Tuesday that he believes only a “very small percentage” of police officers are “bad cops.”
Mr. Garland said he couldn’t put a number on how many officers engage in misconduct, while adding that the majority of officers follow the rules.
“Let me be clear, we believe most police officers follow the Constitution in their practices, most police departments do,” he said in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee. “And all police officers, I believe, want to work in police departments that follow constitutional policing requirements.”
Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, asked Mr. Garland if the number of officers who engage in wrongdoing is less than 5%. Mr. Garland said that he couldn’t provide any numbers.
Mr. Garland added that he does not believe most cops are racist, but again would not provide an exact figure. “I’m not resisting because I have a number I can’t give you, I just don’t have any way of making that evaluation,” he said.
Mr. Kennedy pressed the attorney general asking him what his “gut” tells him about the number of potentially racist cops in America.
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“One thing I’ve learned is not to give answers from my gut,” Mr. Garland said. “I don’t know the answer. I’m sorry.”
Under Mr. Garland, the Justice Department has returned to investigating the practices of local police departments for potential patterns of abuse. The probes, known as “pattern-or-practice” investigations, had been abandoned by the Justice Department under former President Donald Trump.
Since taking office, Mr. Garland has launched probes into the records of the police departments in Minneapolis, Louisville, Phoenix, and Mount Vernon, New York. The Justice Department also entered into a consent decree with the police department in Springfield, Massachusetts after a federal investigation determined in 2020 that its narcotics bureau engaged in a pattern of excessive force.
The consent decree, which puts the Justice Department in charge of the police department until specific reforms are achieved, is the first one launched since Mr. Garland rescinded the Trump administration’s near-ban on the agreements.
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions routinely criticized consent decrees, saying they hurt morale and prevent officers from doing their jobs.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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