US prosecutors tell Puerto Rico to clean up corrupt police force

The US Justice Department on Wednesday issued a scathing report against Puerto Rico's island police force, accusing its officers of discriminatory acts against its citizens, including racial bias against Dominican residents, constitutional violations, beatings of demonstrators, widespread corruption and a refusal to investigate hate crimes.

The 116-page report is the conclusion of a three-year investigation ordered by Justice's civil rights division into the police department, the second-largest force in the United States. The probe found that officers had used excessive force when dealing with citizens, conducted illegal searches and arrested people without just cause.

"We also identified 98 officers who have been arrested more than once on domestic violence charges between 2007 and 2010. Many of these officers, including commanders, remain active on the force," said the report.

Governor Luis Fortuño, a Republican, made assurances that corrective measures were put into place as soon as the Justice Department began its probe.

The findings come exactly one year after federal authorities made their biggest sweep inside the force - arresting 61 officers on drug-trafficking charges. Two months ago, Police Superintendent José Figueroa Sancha resigned after the American Civil Liberties Union released its own report detailing widespread police brutality. In one instance, during a series of peaceful protests in 2010 over proposed changes to the island's university system, unarmed students and demonstrators were met by beatings. Some journalists covering the event were sprayed with mace.