Justice Department Sends Ferguson Warning On Consent Decree

In this Feb. 2, 2016 file photo, Ferguson residents pack the council chambers for a meeting of the City Council in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson city leaders warned U.S. Department of Justice negotiators last month that app... In this Feb. 2, 2016 file photo, Ferguson residents pack the council chambers for a meeting of the City Council in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson city leaders warned U.S. Department of Justice negotiators last month that approval of a settlement agreement was no sure thing, Knowles said Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) MORE LESS

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Justice Department says it will drop a lawsuit against Ferguson if the City Council approves a proposed agreement to reform its police department and court.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1TBPhd9 ) obtained a copy of a letter sent Friday to Ferguson’s mayor. In it, the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says the federal government is prepared to continue with the lawsuit if the St. Louis suburb doesn’t approve the deal in its original form.

The City Council voted last month to accept the consent decree negotiated with the DOJ over 26 weeks last year, but only if it included seven amendments.

The letter also rejects the notion that a provision requiring Ferguson to offer police competitive salaries means they and all city workers get 25 percent raises.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. Do your jobs or else!!!

    Oh, and pay for the jobs per the standard, or else!!!

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