May 7, 2012

LEGISLATURE APPROVES ANTI-RACIAL PROFILING BILL

Legislation (SB 364) sponsored by State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) to strengthen Connecticut law aimed at stopping police from racially profiling motorists was approved by the House of Representatives.

“This measure is extremely important to our community and I am thrilled to see it passed,” Candelaria said. “We have confirmation that the system in place was not working and unfairly penalizing minorities across the state. Now, we will have a mechanism in place that to some extent, will maintain municipalities under scrutiny.”

The bill modifies the 1999 Racial Profiling Prohibition Act championed by the late Sen. Alvin Penn of Bridgeport, which requires police departments to forward data on traffic stops to the African-American Affairs Commission (AAAC) to assess for evidence of racial profiling. The new law sets standards for reporting the information and shifts responsibility for its analysis to the governor’s budget office, which has more staff and resources available than AAAC.

In addition, the legislation also allows the state to withhold public safety-related funds from communities that don't comply. A 2011 analysis of more than 100,000 traffic stops by dozens of local police departments found that black and Hispanic drivers are significantly more likely to receive a ticket or a court date than white drivers stopped for the same offense.

Previously passed by the Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Dannel P. Malloy who indicated he would sign it into law. “This is a real problem that deserves a real solution, and my administration is committed to carrying out the spirit and letter of this law,” said Gov. Malloy.