As protests build in Minneapolis, Portland, Justice Department has scrapped its "Peacemakers" office

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

January 11, 2026 / 4:52 PM EST / CBS News


The Justice Department has a playbook ready for responding to emergencies like the one unfolding in Minneapolis, including containing unrest and defusing community anger or distrust in law enforcement.

In the civil rights era, the agency formed its Community Relations Service, a group of dozens of federal specialists who were informally referred to as "America's peacemaker."

For the type of crisis emerging in Minneapolis, the Community Relations Service had a long-time, fulltime staffer based in Minnesota, and would also immediately deploy its specialists from Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Indianapolis and Madison to get on the ground promptly to assist.

At a time when relations between federal agents and the Minneapolis community, Portland and other U.S. cities have been deteriorating, the Justice Department is being criticized for scrapping its playbook, and turning away its "peacemakers." Several sources, including current and former Justice Department employees, said the Trump administration has shuttered the office and has begun pushing out many of the approximately 60 employees who served in the Community Relations Service.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-peacemakers-office-scrapped/

[UpInArms]

1. Of course they did

Just like closing the pandemic team before covid

[riversedge]

2. ....In Minneapolis, the office had some recent successes, in its response to the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

And Trump calls himself the Peace President. damn


.
............In Minneapolis, the office had some recent successes, in its response to the killing of George Floyd in 2020. An agency report reviewed by CBS News said the Community Relations Service's deployment to Minneapolis during the trial of Floyd's killer was the largest by the office in 2021

"The Community Relations Service deployed twice to Minneapolis during the trial and sentencing of Derek Chauvin," the report said. "Despite the challenges of social distancing, CRS conciliators worked for months to build relationships with the community, facilitate dialogues, and lead trainings."

Bert Brandenburg, who used to work in the Community Relations Service, told CBS News, "When we sideline peacemakers, we all pay the price."

"Minnesota is not the first and not the last city where you'd want peacemakers on the streets."