Thursday, February 24, 2000
Ohio police take stand against racial profiling
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Top police administrators from across Ohio pledged Wednesday to address instances — real and perceived — of racial profiling, the practice of stopping motorists based on their race.
The administrators signed the Ohio Law Enforcement Nondiscrimination Resolution as Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor announced a $50,000 training grant for police departments.
The resolution is meant to affirm that police in Ohio don't endorse the practice of racial profiling, Ms. O'Connor said.
“Maintaining public trust in law enforcement is a paramount concern to law enforcement agencies as well as the communities they serve,” Ms. O'Connor said.
The grant will pay for training materials for departments to educate officers about racial profiling.
“There's no question there's a perception out there that racial profiling is a problem in this country,” said Michael Taylor of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. “That perception is enough to make our organiza tion deal with it as a reality.”
A bill pending in the Ohio House would require police departments to collect racial and other statistics about every motor vehicle stop.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Peter Lawson Jones, D-Shaker Heights, applauded Ms. O'Connor's announcement but emphasized it doesn't change the need for his legislation.
“The problem of racial profiling is so pervasive that the measures announced today, however well intentioned, only scratch the surface,” Mr. Jones said in a news release.
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