As the U.S. Justice Department works to negotiate consent decrees to establish federal oversight of dysfunctional law enforcement agencies in Minneapolis and Louisville, some point to the sluggish pace of reform in Chicago as a warning.
But consent decrees are not a panacea. Even the most powerful tool is only as useful as the public servants who wield them. Mayors, police officials, community leaders and — perhaps most importantly — federal authorities must be committed to their execution.
