Brickbat: Empire State of Mind

A U.S. Department of Justice report found that the police department in Mount Vernon, New York, had a policy of routinely strip searching everyone it arrested. The report also found that officers would often strip search people it didn't arrest, frequently detained and interrogated people it did not arrest, and detained people without probable cause. Officers also arrested people for criticizing them. Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said in a statement that the city is working with the Justice Department to correct those issues.