Nearly every arrestee underwent a strip search during illegal arrests made by a suburban New York police agency, according to the DOJ.

The Department of Justice accused a suburban New York police department of frequently violating civil rights through unlawful arrests and invasive searches, the report stated.

On Thursday, a report was released stating that the Mount Vernon Police Department frequently employed excessive force, such as unnecessarily escalating minor incidents and overusing tasers and closed-fist strikes, particularly against individuals who were already on the ground, controlled by multiple officers, or already restrained.

The police department was found to have issues with their vehicle stops, evidence collection, and discriminatory policing, as well as making arrests without probable cause.

The illegal 2020 strip search of two elderly women, ages 65 and 75 respectively, was a significant factor in the investigation into Mount Vernon's police force, according to the report.

Despite a search of their car revealing no evidence of a crime, the two women were arrested on suspicion of purchasing drugs and transported to a police station in handcuffs.

According to the report, detectives instructed supervisors at the station to authorize a fully nude strip search, which involved the command "bend over and cough."

A few vacation days were deducted from the officers who were found to have lied about the women purchasing drugs during an internal investigation.

According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, "Our investigation has discovered evidence suggesting that MVPD consistently engages in behavior that violates the rights of its citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution."

According to the report, the police force of Mount Vernon practiced stripping every person arrested until at least the fall of 2022.

Without placing anyone under arrest, officers conducted strip searches and interrogations.

Individuals were also detained for expressing critical opinions about police officers, which falls under the safeguarded right to free speech and expression.

Despite being "curtailed" during the investigation, the Justice Department stated that illegal strip and cavity searches continued until at least 2023. Investigators are not confident that these practices have ended.

The report stated that MVPD's practices included deeply ingrained, intrusive unlawful searches that occurred over many years.

The report found instances of unlawful arrests, including a situation where police officers took the mother of a shooting victim to a police station and questioned her while her daughter, who was hit by a stray bullet, was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, the daughter passed away while her mother was in police custody, and officers were unable to provide any justification for her detention.

The DOJ stated that the police force faced financial mismanagement, which intensified the pervasive human rights violations resulting from illegal policies and inadequate training. Additionally, low salaries make it challenging to attract and retain quality officers, train staff, and pay bills, which diminished its supply budget.

The Justice Department stated that the city is already taking steps to enhance its law enforcement procedures. The report presented a set of recommendations, including measures to prevent unconstitutional strip and body cavity searches from occurring.

The Justice Department's findings of civil rights violations in Mount Vernon will be addressed by the city, as stated by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, a Democrat.

Patterson-Howard stated that we fully back our law enforcement officers while simultaneously condemning and imposing consequences on illegal policing practices.

An investigation in 2021 led to the dismissal of three police officers and two civilian employees, but no specifics were given regarding the timing or reasons for their termination.

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stated that the investigation into MVPD uncovered a pattern of unlawful conduct that must be addressed and ended through the implementation of measures.

"Across the country, police reform will not happen overnight," Clarke stated. "The department's investigations, findings reports, and resulting reform measures are necessary for law enforcement agencies to become the departments that their citizens need and deserve."

Over the past three years, the DOJ has launched 12 investigations into local policing agencies, one of which is examining the Mount Vernon Police Department's pattern of officer misconduct.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.