The Department of Justice has kept a watchful eye over the Warren Police Department following complaints of excessive force prior to a 2012 settlement agreement.


The DOJ's latest progress report indicates the Warren department is on the right path. In a letter to the city's law director, a DOJ attorney wrote the "WPD has made significant progress toward achieving compliance with the Settlement Agreement. While much work is left to be done, WPD police officers should be pleased with what they've accomplished.


Warren's police chief says the DOJ'S latest assessment reflects the positive traction they're making.


"I think the citizens are already starting to see progress in our police department," Eric Merkel said, Warren police chief. "They should know that their department is policing them in a more constitutional manner."


The department's 2015 review outlines where Warren stands in 47 categories- including use of force and reporting use of force.


WPD was found to be in substantial compliance with 29 categories and in partial compliance with 18. Among 11 categories where the department was found in non-compliance in a 2013 report, the department shifted those categories to either partial or substantial compliance.


Citizen complaints have dropped from 57 in 2010 to 24 in 2014, which is another benchmark Merkel points to as progress. 


"Anytime you change leadership and the department changes, the personnel changes, you're going to focus on different things that need corrected and certainly, settlement agreement or not, we would have made those changes anyway," Merkel said.


Merkel says the assessments are building a better informed and trained force. Officers are required to complete an annual 40 hour in-service training, where they review use of force techniques, reporting and best practices in enforcing the law. 


Though more work needs to be done, Greater Warren-Youngstown Urban League's Thomas Conley says Warren is on the right path.


"We experienced what happened in Warren some years ago and have made improvements on top of that," Conley said. "I feel much better that what you see from a national standpoint is not going to happen here."


Conley says changes are still needed when it comes to investigating police officer misconduct on a national scale. 


Merkel expects to bring the department into full compliance with the department of justice by the end of this year.