Justice Department investigates Newark Police

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- The Newark Police Department is being investigated by the federal government in the wake of allegations of discriminatory policing by department officers, according to Paul Fishman, the U.S. Attorney for the district of New Jersey.

The inquiry will evaluate whether the Police Department's practices are in violation of federal law, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Officials have begun conducting interviews and reviewing records to determine whether officers have a pattern of illegal stops and frisks and use of excessive force against civilians.

"Our goal is not to blame, but to fix any problems we might find," Fishman said at a news conference Monday.

The investigation is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey as well as the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, which has conducted similar reviews of law enforcement agencies in New York, Ohio, Washington, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Louisiana and California.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/09/new.jersey.newark.police/index.html