Justice Dept. releases new police guidance on formation of specialized units

Darryl Coote
·3 min read
6
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta on Wednesday released new guidance for specialized police units. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta on Wednesday released new guidance for specialized police units. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- One year after Tyre Nichols was killed by officers of Memphis' now-shuttered SCORPION police unit, the Justice Department on Wednesday released new guidance directing police agencies in the use of such specialized law enforcement units.

Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, 2023, from blunt force trauma that he sustained three days earlier when beaten by Memphis police officers of the SCORPION unit during a traffic stop. His death was ruled a homicide, and the five officers involved were fired and indicted on various charges, including murder, with one of the officers entering a plea deal in February.

Launched in November 2021 to crack down on street crime, the SCORPION unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods, has since been disbanded.

Following his death, the Justice Department in March commissioned a review of the use of specialized units within law enforcement, producing new guidance published Wednesday.

"After the tragic death of Tyre Nichols and public scrutiny of the SCORPION unit, we made it a priority at the Justice Department to develop a practical resource for law enforcement and community leaders assessing the use of specialized units in police agencies," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said Wednesday in a statement.

Tyre Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, 2023, after being beat by police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tenn., days earlier. Photo courtesy of Ben Crump Law/Website
Tyre Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, 2023, after being beat by police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tenn., days earlier. Photo courtesy of Ben Crump Law/Website

"We hope that police chiefs, mayors and community stakeholders will use the guide when considering whether a specialized unit should be formed to focus on a particular problem, and, if formed, how to ensure proper transparency, oversight, accountability and evaluation of such units."

The guidance looks at the formation, personnel selection and supervision, management and accountably and community engagement of such units, offering law enforcement agencies key considerations when creating them.

The City of Memphis released video footage recorded on police-issued body-worn cameras and a pole camera taken on the evening of Jan. 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn., of the incident between Tyre Nichols and members of the Memphis Police Department. On Wednesday, the Justice Department released guidance for police departments on the formation of such specialized police units as that which killed Nichols. Photo via City of Memphis/UPI

The Justice Department said the guidance was designed "to support law enforcement agencies and communities across the country as they assess the appropriateness of the use of specialized units, and, where units are deemed appropriate, ensure the necessary management and oversight of such units to advance effective and just policing practices."

It said the guidance offers actionable suggestions for defining the unit's mission and culture, developing performance metrics and establishing policies as well as hiring practices, among others.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent the Nichols family, said they are "thankful" for the work done by the Justice Department and Gupta to address this issue.

"We hope this guidance provides police departments with a clear outline of when these specialized units may be appropriate, when they most certainly are not appropriate, and how to properly staff them with officers who will properly execute their explicit duties," they said in an statement emailed to UPI.

"We hope police departments and chiefs nationwide will strictly adhere to this guidance. The unjustified death of Tyre Nichols and the circumstances surrounding that tragedy will not soon be forgotten."