The goal of ACLU-TN’s Police Accountability Campaign is foster public safety, prevent abuse in encounters between law enforcement and civilians, and improve community-police relations.

Our statewide campaign, which is part of ACLU-TN’s broader Campaign for Smart Justice, will focus on efforts to:

  • end racial profiling;
  • implement implicit bias and de-escalation training for law enforcement;
  • reduce the use of excessive force;
  • ensure that when body cameras are used, policies are in place that protect privacy and transparency;
  • reform civil asset forfeiture; and
  • establish independent civilian review boards with disciplinary authority.

In our work with law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, we seek to have greater collaboration with and inclusion of community stakeholders; to improve training, policies, and practices that increase community trust; and to encourage stronger mechanisms for transparency and accountability.

Ultimately, our efforts are intended to foster public safety by addressing tensions between police and the communities they serve.

Our vision is a state where the culture of law enforcement agencies is transformed to better reflect the communities they serve; where police and sheriff departments are transparent and accountable to the people they are charged with protecting; and where no individual feels suspicious of or unsafe around the police — regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, gender, mental health, ability, or socioeconomic status.

At the Capitol

Rein in Policing for Profit in Tennessee
Reduce Incarceration for Marijuana Possession
Oppose Restricting Access to Body Camera Footage

In the Courts

Protecting Against Civil Asset Forfeiture: Tennessee v. Prabhakar

Events

Broken Policing: Windows for Change

Resources

Campaign for Smart Justice
Tennessee Coalition for Sensible Justice
Know Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement
What To Do If You’re Stopped By Police, Immigration Agents or the FBI
My Rights When Encountering the Police Card
Police Brutality and Misconduct Resource Sheet

In the News

For Black Men, Running Is a Reasonable Reaction to Police Harassment and Racial Profiling, Concludes Massachusetts’ Supreme Court
ACLU-TN Condemns Killings in Louisiana, Minnesota & Texas
Arrests and Handcuffing of Schoolchildren in Rutherford County
ACLU-TN Calls for Sheriffs’ Association To Oppose Profiling
Ferguson underscores need for systematic reform
ACLU-TN Statement on Ferguson Grand Jury Decision
Organizations to Hold “Face the Truth” Hearing on Racial Profiling
ACLU Of Tennessee Seeks Records About FBI Collection Of Racial And Ethnic Data
Campaign Against Racial Profiling Achieves Another Success

Take Action

It’s Time for Real Criminal Justice Reform
Police Mandatory Reporting
Survey and Get-Help Form: Were your assets unfairly seized in Tennessee?