Racial Profiling has historically occurred, and continues to occur throughout America.
- The Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Traffic Stop Law enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1999 required state and local police to collect traffic stops data and report the data to the state.
- The 2011 federal investigation into the East Haven Police Department brought this issue to the forefront in Connecticut again and led to the Connecticut General Assembly updating the Profiling Legislation in 2012.
- Enforcing the law’s data reporting requirement and collecting and analyzing racial disparities in traffic stop records is the primary charge of the advisory board.
- A broader analysis, utilizing multiple methodologies is the preferred method for measuring for the presence of racial disparities in traffic enforcement;
- Although no measure is 100% accurate in measuring disparities, the analysis utilized in Connecticut is sufficient in determining the presence of disparities;
- We will continue to modify and refine our methodologies based on the best available research and accepted practices in the field.
- We will take a proactive approach in understanding, explaining and addressing disparities found in the analysis by:
- Utilizing input from all stakeholders to understand the underlying causes for such disparities;
- Clearly explaining to the public and stakeholders if there are justifiable reasons for such disparities;
- Reporting to the Office of Policy and Management instances where the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project Advisory Board believes that a police department is in violation of the Alvin W. Penn law.
