LEXINGTON, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) The city of Lexington has agreed to change how its police department works. The Lexington police settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice comes two years after a federal report found officers violated people’s civil rights.
The Justice Department announced the agreement on Friday, Oct. 16. The deal was reached out of court. It covers fines, bail, traffic stops, searches, arrests and the use of force.
Lexington is a small town in Holmes County. It sits about an hour north of Jackson. Most of the people who live there are Black, and many are poor.
What the federal report found
In September 2024, the Justice Department released a report on the Lexington Police Department. It said the department had a pattern of violating people’s rights.
The report said police targeted Black people for arrest. It also said officers arrested people for small offenses to raise money for the department. In addition, people who could not pay their fines were kept in jail for long periods, the report said.
The city court had issued arrest warrants for more than 650 people over unpaid fines. That is a big share of a town with about 1,600 people.
Federal investigators also looked at arrest numbers. From 2022 to 2024, Lexington police made one arrest for every four people in town, the Associated Press reported. That rate was more than 10 times the rate for the whole state.
What the agreement requires
The Associated Press reported several key parts of the deal.
First, police can no longer jail people for unpaid fines without first checking if they can afford to pay. Federal officials say jailing someone just because they are poor breaks the 14th Amendment.
Next, the city must drop old warrants for unpaid fines that break the law. It must also work to expunge, or clear, records of fine convictions that were not legal.
Also, the police department cannot use quotas. That means officers cannot be told to hit a set number of stops, tickets or arrests. The city also cannot reward officers for bringing in money.
Finally, officers must take training approved by the Justice Department. The training covers stops, searches, arrests and use of force. The department must also keep records of those actions and review them.
The Justice Department said the city will also change its rules on bail and release. It will also deal with possible conflicts of interest.
What federal officials said
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger leads federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Mississippi. He spoke about the deal in the Justice Department’s news release.
“Through these reforms, we seek not only to address the concerns identified in our investigation, but also to strengthen public trust and promote practices that respect the rights and dignity of every person,” Kruger said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon leads the department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice supports local law enforcement,” she said. She added that the department was “very pleased” that the city and its police reached an agreement.
The Justice Department said it will work with the city to make sure the problems are fixed.
How long the deal lasts
The agreement lasts three years, the Associated Press reported. However, it could end sooner or last longer. That depends on whether both sides agree the city has met its goals.
The Associated Press said it called and emailed city and police leaders. However, they did not respond right away.
Changes already made in Lexington
The city has already made some changes. In January, the Lexington Board of Aldermen voted to adopt reforms the Justice Department had recommended. That same week, the board removed Police Chief Charles Henderson. The board did not give a reason, Mississippi Today reported.
After two interim chiefs, the city hired David Simmons as police chief in May, Mississippi Today reported.
Then in August, several people who sued Lexington police settled their cases with the city. The ACLU of Mississippi said the deal did not include any admission of wrongdoing by the city or its officers.
How it started
The Justice Department opened its investigation in 2023. At that time, residents had made many claims against officers. Those claims included using roadblocks to target Black drivers and using too much force. People also accused officers of sexual assault and of arresting people without a good reason.
What this means for you
The rules in this agreement only apply to Lexington. Still, the issue of jail for unpaid fines matters across Mississippi.
The Justice Department says courts must check if a person can afford to pay before jailing them over a fine. If you are having trouble paying a court fine, you can ask the court about your options.
Also, anyone who believes a police officer violated their civil rights can file a report with the Justice Department. You can do that online at civilrights.justice.gov.