Barack Obama’s time in office is not one to be looked upon fondly from a Rule of Law perspective. In fact, more often than not Obama was one who cheered on those engaged in protesting law enforcement, which typically blamed police for simply doing their job. And in the waning days of his presidency, Obama’s Justice Department rushed to secure nationwide police reform agreements before Donald Trump took office. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has now hit the pause button on enacting these reforms and requested a 90-day review period.

In a two-page memo the Justice Department reasoned, “The Attorney General and the new leadership in the Department are actively developing strategies to support the thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country that seek to prevent crime and protect the public. The Department is working to ensure that those initiatives effectively dovetail with robust enforcement of federal laws designed to preserve and protect civil rights.”

Over Obama’s tenure, the Social Justice™ Department headed by former Attorney General Loretta Lynch was especially critical in its evaluation of law enforcement, often blaming police departments for a “culture of racism.” It saw the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-police riots erupting in cities across the country, as well as the targeted murder of several police officers. Not to mention the surge in murder and other violent crimes in places like Chicago and Baltimore. After such an increase in violence, it was indeed appropriate to review policing practices, but the Obama administration’s penchant for presuming widespread racism within law enforcement raises the question as to both the effectiveness and legitimacy of these new policing reforms.

Sessions is to be commended for wanting to slow down and give a more thorough review.