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Springfield police commissioners say DOJ settlement has ended; department to brief board on state use‑of‑force changes
Summary
At the June 10 meeting, the board was told a federal monitor granted a joint motion terminating the 2022 DOJ‑Springfield Police Department settlement. The department said it met substantial compliance, will adjust to a new state use‑of‑force policy and will hold board training on July 8.
On June 10, 2026, the Springfield Board of Police Commissioners was told that a joint motion terminating the April 29, 2022 settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Springfield Police Department was granted by the compliance evaluator in federal court on May 7, 2026, the board heard.
Commander, Professional Standards Unit, who said they led the department's work under the settlement, told the board the settlement was a 293‑paragraph agreement and that Springfield had submitted the joint motion for termination after reaching substantial compliance. "We submitted a joint motion for termination with the Department of Justice, the compliance evaluation team, the law department and PD and that motion was granted subsequently terminating the agreement," the commander said.
The commander described a multi‑year effort that included rewriting policies, changing reporting structures, codifying practices, purchasing software and streamlining internal processes. "We've had a significant cultural shift within the police department," the commander said, adding that the department intends to continue the processes developed over the past four years.
The department also told the board the state will issue a unified use‑of‑force policy in early September. The commander said Springfield's policies "already exceed the state standards" but that a small number of adjustments will be required, including replacing the department's containment levels one through five with a new type one/two/three framework and making associated reporting changes. The commander said the department plans to schedule a training for the board in July to review the new state guidance and how Springfield will implement it; board members agreed to hold that training on July 8 at 6:00 p.m.
The commander said the department will also expand community engagement and public education sessions so residents better understand police processes and rules of engagement.
What happens next: the department will provide a training session for the board in July to explain the upcoming state policy changes and related reporting adjustments. The meeting record shows no formal policy adoption at this session; the board scheduled the training as a next step.
