NEWARK, NJ — The Newark Police Department may be starting to win back some of its confidence from citizens following last year's landmark civil rights settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, according to city officials.

On Thursday - more than a year after federal authorities and the City of Newark reached a settlement with the Newark Police Department over alleged longstanding abuses of power that included "unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests, use of excessive force and theft by officers" - municipal officials reported that the city has seen a 38 percent reduction in citizen complaints against police personnel. According to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose:

"From Jan. 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017, the Newark Police Division received 137 citizen complaints against police officers compared to 220 citizen complaints received during the same time last year. This represents a 38 percent reduction, reflecting 83 fewer complaints." The reduction comes despite a 14 percent rise in police responses to calls for service, Ambrose stated. In addition, the Newark Police Department saw a 73 percent decrease in illegal searches, a 30 percent decrease in thefts and a 28 percent reduction in use of force incidents during 2017 as compared to 2016, Ambrose said.

See related article: Newark's Overall Crime Rate Drops In 2016 CIVIL RIGHTS IN NEWARK In March 2016, federal authorities and the City of Newark announced that they reached a settlement involving longstanding allegations that the Newark Police Department has "eroded public confidence" by unconstitutionally harassing its minority residents, particularly African-Americans.

The settlement will bring "wide-ranging reforms and changes to the Newark Police Department," the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.

See related article: Civil Rights Probe: Newark, Feds Reach Settlement According to the U.S Justice Department, the agreement resolves the agency's findings that the NPD engaged in a pattern of "unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests, use of excessive force and theft by officers" in violation of the First, Fourth and 14th Amendments.

The proposed consent decree also resolves the department's findings that NPD's law enforcement practices had a "disparate impact on minorities" in Newark, prosecutors stated. The Justice Department's findings were announced in July of 2014 following a three-year investigation.