RI lawmakers consider racial profiling crackdown
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Police in Rhode Island would have to report in writing the reasons they search a vehicle, motorist or pedestrian under legislation crafted to prevent racial profiling.
The measure would also prohibit police from searching people without probable cause even if they consent to the search -- and require police departments to submit reports on traffic stops to determine whether certain groups of people are more frequently pulled over.
State Sen. Harold Metts, one of the measure's sponsors, said Friday that he has been questioned and detained by police many times throughout his life for no stated reason. Metts, a Providence Democrat, is black. He recalled being questioned by police as a teen whenever he walked through a particular white neighborhood, and said the scrutiny continued once he started driving and even after he became a lawmaker.
"It's less blatant than it was years ago, but it's still a problem," he said. "It's dehumanizing to be pulled over for nothing. It doesn't help to build trust for law enforcement."
Metts filed the legislation in the Senate on Thursday. A similar version have the bill has been introduced in the House. No votes are scheduled.
Similar legislation has failed in the General Assembly in recent years after police organizations voiced concerns that new requirements could tie the hands of officers.
Jamestown Police Chief Edward Mello, president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, said his group has yet to review the new bill. But he said police departments are already working on ways to analyze traffic stop records to root out cases of racial profiling.
Mello said police chiefs also oppose proposals to prohibit officers from questioning vehicle passengers without probable cause, or searching people without reasonable suspicion even if the person has consented.
"It's restrictive to law enforcement," he said. "Traffic stops are one of the best tools police have to investigate crimes."
The bill has nearly two dozen lawmakers already signed on as sponsors and a long list of supporters, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP and the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights.
It also has its critics. State Rep. Peter Martin, D-Newport, opposed the measure last year and said people who believe they've been harassed by police because of their race can already file formal complaints. He said there are easier ways to curb racial profiling without putting mandates on police.
"I'm sympathetic and I don't deny that it happens, but I don't want to get in the habit of micromanaging the police," he said.
