Lexington Mississippi police reform settlement

The Lexington, Mississippi Police Department has entered into a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to implement systemic reforms. This follows a 2024 investigation that found the department engaged in racial discrimination against Black residents, used excessive force, and retaliated against critics.

A central component of the settlement addresses the use of low-level arrests to generate municipal revenue. The Department of Justice noted that the city had issued arrest warrants for unpaid fines to approximately 650 people, which represented nearly half of the city’s population of 1,600. Such practices were deemed a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Under the agreement, the city is prohibited from jailing individuals for unpaid fines without first assessing their ability to pay. The department must also dismiss all existing warrants for unlawful fine-based convictions, expunge related records, and cease implementing any quota or incentive systems for stops, citations, or arrests intended to drive revenue. The settlement further mandates reforms regarding stops, searches, use of force, and bail practices.