The new rules now have little impact because the consent decree is still in effect.

There were no black officers until after 1981 and the consent decree.

We had 300-plus workers at the beginning of the consent decree, in January 1991, and now there are almost 1,000.

The department had committed to doing so as part of a 1998 consent decree.

The consent decree also said that the city had agreed to pay three women a total of $168,000.

The consent decree has been a controversial subject in local news media.

The companies had assumed they would find one after the consent decree but before the deal was closed.

The consent decree runs for six and a half years, starting yesterday.

"We look forward to the day the government can have an exit strategy from the consent decree."

The consent decree also calls for a review of the restrictions every three years.