NEWS > 31 July 2006

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Bristol Press - CT, United Sta
31 July 2006

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Accused of profiling, police c

BRISTOL - Facing allegations by local NAACP leaders that "racism and racial profiling is alive and well in the police department," one police official asked last week, "Where's the proof?"

Monica Ervin and the Rev. E.J. Moss, president and treasurer respectively, of the city's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, recently stated that police in Bristol target black people when enforcing the law.
Moreover, Ervin said her issue with city police is not so much about race as is the level of competence with which some officers handle situations.
However, police dispute the racial profiling charge and defend their procedures.
Police cited the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act, a state law requiring police departments to maintain reports of the race, gender and age of all stopped motorists as well as the reason for the stop and its disposition.
Each month, this information is sent to a watchdog organization, the Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission for review. Any police department that the commission finds to be racially profiling would immediately have state funding cut.
"If we were truly targeting people," Lt. Thomas Grimaldi said, "I can only assume it would have been addressed at the state level." He asked, "Where's the proof? That's the real question. Where's the proof?"
Grimaldi said in most instances when initiating a vehicle stop, the officer does not know the race, gender or age of the motorist.
"We pull people over for the action committed not for who they are or what they look like and often our officers don't even know what the person looks like ... until they've made contact," Grimaldi said
"Are our officers aggressive?" said Grimaldi, "Yeah, as our statistics show, and they are quite impressive. Our officers do a lot of hard work ... it's brought down the number of motor vehicle accidents ... it's brought down crime."
Based on the May numbers submitted by Bristol police to the African-American Affairs Commission, of the 806 motorists stopped - not all were issued tickets - 652, or 80.89 percent were white; while 79, or 9.8 percent were Hispanic; 8, or 0.99 percent were Asian and 9 people, or 1.1 percent of motorists' race was unknown. Fifty-eight motorists, or 7.1 percent, of the motorists stopped in May were black.
In June, of the 784 motorists stopped, 636, or 81.12 percent were white; 79, or 10 percent were Hispanic; 55, or 7 percent were black; while 8 motorists, or 1 percent were Asian and 1, or 0.12 percent were Indian while 5 people, or 0.6 percent were unknown by race.
"Looking at the statistics," said Councilor Frank Nicastro, "I don't see racial profiling is there."
Nicastro, council liaison to the Board of Police Commissioners, said he requested the statistics for May and June in response to the allegations and complaints of racial profiling, "I wanted to see exactly what was happening."
Shortly after Ervin was issued a ticket July 20 for failure to display a license plate, she said she believed it was because of who she is. Friday, Ervin, who described herself as a mother of four struggling to protect her children and survive, said she makes no apologies for who she is, and that while she wonders why her motor vehicle stop garnered so much police attention at the time, she does not believe it was strictly a race issue.
Ervin questioned why so much work was done to document her stop, including photos being taken and several other officers being called to the scene.
Police Chief John DiVenere said the officer who stopped Ervin said it was not the first time he has taken pictures of similar violations. The chief also said the officer, who said that before the stop he did not know what Ervin looked like, was aware of the recent allegations of racial profiling on the part of the police department, and may have felt the need to have extra documentation of the purpose for the stop should his integrity later be called into question.
The chief said it is department policy, in an effort to ensure officer safety, that a second officer is sent as back-up on all motor vehicle stops. Occasionally, said DiVenere, the original officer will call off the backup.
DiVenere also said the officer who stopped Ervin called for a supervisor when she asked that the mayor and chief be called to the scene.
The city's officers are required to call for a supervisor whenever they feel a situation is getting out of hand or when they have a question as to how to handle a situation or problem,said DiVenere. He said he reviewed this incident and the officer acted propertly according to department guidelines by calling a supervisor to the scene.
DiVenere said he encourages patrol officers to have a high profile in the community because national studies have shown a direct correlation to a reduction in a city or town's crime rate when police officers are visibly enforcing motor vehicle laws.
DiVenere said with the recent allegations that the city's police force engages in racial profiling, a large majority of officers are feeling unsupported by politicians in the city. The chief said he has addressed officers to let them know they are supported and to "continue the high-profile policing."
The chief also said he has seen the direct correlation with high profile crimes being solved more quickly because the city's officers are visible and are visibly enforcing laws.
A traffic stop is an integral part of preventing crime, said DiVenere. Though a motorist receiving a ticket for not wearing a seat belt or not having a front license plate affixed to their vehicle may think the police should "go out and fight real crime," the perception by those engaging in criminal activities that they too can be pulled over for a seemingly minor motor vehicle violation leads to their often choosing to conduct their criminal enterprises elsewhere, he said.
Police officers also may use a minor violation to pull over a vehicle they believe may be engaged in an unseen criminal activity. The practice of doing so is known in police and legal circles as a "pretext stop."
A "pretext stop" is defined by Steve Holbert and Lisa Rose in their book "The Color of Guilt and Innocence Racial Profiling and Police Practices in America" as "stopping a driver for a minor traffic violation in order for the officer to carry out his or her primary objective, searching for evidence of a greater offense for which the officer lacked probable cause to conduct the stop."

Traffic Lt. Kevin Morrell said a pretext stop is not evidence of racial profiling because "[the officer] had probable cause to stop the car. You had a violation. It's not like you're making things up."
"Each stop is unique," said Morrell.
Morrell also noted the practice of pretext stops have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Friday, Ervin said the concern she raised at a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting about witnessing an officer pull over a car full of black men in a shopping plaza parking lot and demand the driver's license was not to accuse the officer of racism per se but whether the situation was handled properly. She claims she would have had the same questions if she witnessed the officer treat a car full of white people the same way. Ervin said when the officer first demanded his driver's license, which the driver did not have, the officer didn't tell the man he was being stopped for having a broken taillight and said nothing about the reason for the stop. It was the lack of communication that Ervin said she found most offensive.
Ervin also said she believes the large majority of the city's police force is made up of "phenomenal officers," but she also believes there are some officers who are racially motivated in their actions and she fears that the few "bad seeds" may poison the entire well.

"This city is a good city," Ervin said Friday, "but changes need to be made, and not just in the police department."
"This is 2006, we shouldn't have to teach racial tolerance," she said referring to the diversity training scheduled for all of the city's police officers.
Nicastro said he feels the diversity training is a wonderful thing, but that it shouldn't stop with the police department.
"I think it can only bring benefits to the city," said Nicastro.
Ervin also has called for a civilian review board to be put in place to monitor and address residents' complaints about the police department. She said America is a country based on a system of checks and balances and she believes the police department needs to also have a system of checks and balances in place in the form of a civilian, citizen review board.
DiVenere said the city has a civilian, citizen review board for the police department - the Board of Police Commissioners - but, it is incumbent upon residents to address the board with issues and complaints. "That's what they're there for," he said.

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Article sourced from

Bristol Press - CT, United Sta31 July 2006

Accused of profiling, police c

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Bristol Press - CT, United Sta
31 July 2006