From the Executive Director, Sue Armstrong

From the Executive Director's Desk
Sue Armstrong

Sue Armstrong
In a recent report released by the Denver Police Department, statistics revealed that Denver officers search black and Hispanic motorists more frequently than whites. Most of us - certainly the Hispanic and African American populations - were not surprised by the report's findings.

As you may recall, the report is the result of one of the conditions in the settlement between ACLU of Colorado and the City of Denver in the Thomas Jefferson High School case. In that case police officers were charged with excessive force and disproportionate reaction to a student melee in the school's parking lot after an evening dance.

Denver Police Department was charged with the task of collecting data on police "stops". Representatives from a number of groups along with other individuals joined Denver Police officers in setting about the task of identifying policies and procedures for each individual stopped - pedestrian or motorist. And now the first data is in.

The good news is that once again ACLU's efforts have brought injustice to public light. The bad news is that the problem is not solved. Police officers can still search individuals by simply asking, "May I search your car?" Consensual searches need no reasonable suspicion. The "suspicion" is in the officer's mind - and that, as the statistics, reveal results in biased policing.

The need to monitor police conduct has not gone away - nor will it. The very nature of policing calls for continued scrutiny by those of us who have the civil rights of the population at heart. Our members and donors make the work of ACLU of Colorado possible. On behalf of all those whose rights are always in jeopardy, thank you for your support.

Sue Armstrong