The Department of Justice yesterday announced an investigation into the policies and practices of the Newark Police Department.

The move comes months after the state American Civil Liberties Union complained of rampant misconduct and lax internal oversight at the police department, although federal and city officials insisted that the ACLU’s petition wasn’t the main reason for the probe.

“We receive information from a wide array of sources and have jurisdiction to determine whether we should move forward at a fuller level, and we’ve determined it’s important to move forward,” said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. “We’ll follow the facts where the facts take us.”

US Attorney Paul Fishman said the probe will look into allegations of excessive force, discriminatory policing and poor treatment of detainees in holding cells. The DOJ will also investigate whether cops retaliate against those who legally observe, or record, police activity.

Mayor Cory Booker (pictured) said he welcomed the investigation.