LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Federal authorities met with top officials from the city and the Los Angeles Police Department to press for changes in LAPD operations, including a new system of disciplining abusive officers, the Los Angeles Times reported today.

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Justice Department officials also insisted that any changes in department policy be written down in a consent decree filed with a federal judge, the Times reported, citing unidentified sources close to the negotiations.A consent decree would carry greater force because it would be overseen by a judge, who could find city officials in contempt if they failed to comply. A memorandum of understanding -- which Mayor Richard Riordan and Police Chief Bernard Parks favor -- is similar to a contract, and the only recourse the Justice Department would have if Los Angeles failed to live up to it would be to sue.

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