Police reform advocates pledged to intensify their efforts at the local level after the U.S. Justice Department said it would withdraw lawsuits against police departments where officers have killed unarmed Black people.

The consent decrees had been in place since the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville.

Civil rights advocates condemn the Justice Department’s decision to exit police reform agreements in Louisville and Minneapolis, warning it could stall accountability and deepen public mistrust.

The Justice Department announced Wednesday it was canceling proposed consent decrees reached with Minneapolis and Louisville to implement policing reforms in the wake of high profile police killings

George Floyd's uncle visits Boston to advocate for police reform, coinciding with the DOJ retracting police overhaul settlements.