April 14, 2008: SUPPORT THE RACIAL PROFILING PREVENTION ACT- SUPPORT SB 3459/HB 4001

What SB 3459 ( Marrero)/HB 4001 (Jones, U) does: SB 3459/HB 4001 defines racial profiling and prohibits racial profiling by law enforcement departments and officers.

ACLU of Tennessee supports SB 3459/HB 4001 because:

• Racial profiling violates the 14 th Amendment guarantees of equal protection and equal treatment under the law.

• The Tennessee General Assembly, in 2004, passed a resolution stating that racial profiling is contrary to Tennessee public policy.

• Major professional law enforcement organizations oppose the use of racial profiling as a law enforcement technique. The International Association of Chiefs of Police has adopted a resolution opposing racial profiling.

• Racial profiling is an ineffective law enforcement tool. The discovery of contraband or evidence of other illegal conduct among minorities stopped and searched by the police is less than whites who are stopped and searched.

• Americans overwhelmingly reject racial profiling. According to a Gallup poll, the majority of those surveyed believe that racial profiling is a “widespread problem.” Even more telling, 81 percent said that they disapprove of the practice.

• By targeting innocent individuals, racial profiling diverts law enforcement resources away from where they are actually needed.

• Confidence is eroded in law enforcement when racial profiling is practiced. Trust is diminished between the police and the communities that they serve when certain segments of the population feel unfairly targeted.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Call your state senators and tell them to vote YES on SB 3459. The easiest way to identity your legislators is to go to www.congress.org and simply type in your zip code and click “Go.” You will get a list of all your elected officials. (You may have to type in your street address if your zip code is split between more than one district).