FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2002 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRT (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. - - The Justice Department announced today that it has closed the federal civil rights investigation into the alleged harassment and use of excessive force against Hispanic residents of Nashville apartment complexes by employees of Detection Services, Inc.
After a thorough investigation the Justice Department determined that there was insufficient evidence to establish violations of federal criminal civil rights statutes.
The investigation focused on allegations that Hispanic residents were specifically targeted, and verbally and physically abused, by employees of Detection Services. Detection Services, a private security guard company that employed some off-duty officers of the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, was hired in 1997 through the spring of 1999 to provide security services to several apartment complexes in Nashville, Tennessee.
After an exhaustive investigation and review of the evidence, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the subjects of the investigation willfully violated the federal civil rights statutes. To bring federal criminal civil rights charges, the evidence must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and support the conclusion that, the employees of Detection Services willfully deprived the victims of their constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force, or that the employees interfered with the victims' constitutional right to rent, hold, or occupy a dwelling without intimidation or interference because of race and color. 02-004
Source: US Department of Justice
