Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 15 February 2007 — Page 8

Page 8 • The Muncie Times • February 15, 2007

The Judge

Chambers

NYPD experience shows need to end racial profiling

It comes as no surprise that, in New York City (or any other large city, for that matter), blacks and Latinos are stopped more frequently by law enforcement officers than whites are. But, recently released data suggest that, perhaps, the city is failing to live up to an earlier promise to curb the police department’s use of race-based profiling in its work. New York City, police have, over the last several years, been involved in two very high profile shootings of unarmed black men and have been accused of using unnecessary force during routine stops. It’s time for the New York City Police Department to clean up its act. Since both the city and the state of New York have failed to do it on their own, i’s time for the federal government to step in. According to the department’s statistics, the New York City police “stopped and frisked” more than 500.000 people last year. More than half of those stopped were black; blacks and Latinos made up more than 80 percent of those who were stopped and searched. The last time the department released such data, in 2002, less than 100.000 New Yorkers were stopped on the city’s streets by police;

in 4 years the number of searches has increased fivefold. It’s important to note the 4-year gap since the last set of data was released. Since New York city police officers shot and killed unarmed street vendor Amadou Diallo in 1999, the city’s police department has been required, by law, to turn over information about who officers stop on the street. Obviously, the New York City Police Department has not complied with the law. In 1998, the attorney general concluded that the NYPD was engaged in racial profiling under then mayor (and now potential Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. Had the department taken serious measures to end the discriminatory practice, perhaps Diallo and Sean Bell would still be alive today. Bell was shot and killed by plainclothes detectives on Nov. 25, 2006; he was to be married the next day. Bell was unarmed, though police say they believed he or one of his friends had a gun. to gun was found on any of the men in Bell’s car. It is clear the city and, in turn, the state, of New York has proven it is incapable of curbing the NYPD’s racially motivated and biased stops, searches and investigations. The ball has been

dropped too many times by too many players; the federal government must intervene now before more lives are lost and destroyed by this establishment’s discriminatory practices. Call your legislators and ask them to support the End Racial Profiling Act. The bill has appeared in Congress in various forms over the last several years and resurfaced last month. The act would ban racial profiling on a federal level and provide funding for retraining of law enforcement officials on

Judge Greg Mathis Chairman of the Rainbow PUSH- Excel Board and a national member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

how to stop and prevent it. For the very first time, law enforcement officials who continue the practice would be held accountable for their actions. New York City, and the country, has a long way to go before racial profiling is gone for

good. But passing this act is a critical first step. Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The Advantage.... ...Of Home Care

284-1211

4008 N. Wheeling (Across from Star Bank)

C.N.A. / s / HH A's / RN's / LPN's Where's the one-on-one patient care? Where's the flexible work schedule? Where's the top pay? FREE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Every Wednesday - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Straight Talk: We have more steady work, better pay rates, and more opportunites than any other home care agency in Central Indiana. Be part of the fastest growing industry as a member of the #1 health care team.... Call today: 765-284-1211 or 1-800-884-5088.