Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors are accusing the Mount Vernon Police Department of committing civil rights violations, such as routinely using excessive force, making arbitrary arrests and conducting unlawful strip and body cavity searches.

The Justice Department on Thursday released its report following a three-year investigation into the department, finding that it "engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution and federal law."

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