Newark, Feds Near Deal on Outside Police Monitor

New Jersey's largest city is working out details that could result in an outside monitor for its police department.

A spokeswoman for Newark says an agreement has not been finalized, but that the appointment of a monitor is likely.

The Justice Department began an investigation into Newark's police department in 2011, after allegations that citizens' complaints about excessive force or unlawful arrest were routinely mishandled.

That came months after the state's American Civil Liberties Union chapter filed a complaint that alleged rampant misconduct and lax internal oversight in the department.

If an outside monitor is appointed, Newark would join other cities -- including Detroit, Oakland, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Seattle -- to be subjected to federal oversight.

The Star-Ledger of Newark first reported the pending appointment of a monitor.

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