Alvin W. Penn

The legacy of a State senator

the law was named to honor the legacy of the late senator alvin w. Penn of bridgeport, Connecticut who championed the legislation in Connecticut.

Alvin W. Penn Law, Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project

Connecticut’s anti-racial profiling law was First enacted in 1999.

The law, entitled Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act (Public Act 99-198), prohibits any law enforcement agency from stopping, detaining, or searching any motorist when the stop is motivated solely by considerations of the race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation of that individual (Connecticut General Statutes Sections 54-1l).

In 2012, the Connecticut General Assembly made several changes to the law to improve the system established to address racial profiling concerns in Connecticut. Changes to the law took effect on October 1, 2013 and are summarized below.

Police agencies must adopt a written policy that prohibits the stopping, detention, or search of any person when such action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation

Written policies

Police agencies must adopt a written policy that prohibits the stopping, detention, or search of any person when such action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation, and such action would constitute a violation of the civil rights of the person.

Police officers must record traffic stop information using the standardized method.

Recording Information

Police officers must record traffic stop information using the standardized method and any form developed and implemented by the Racial Profiling Prohibition Advisory Board and the Office of Policy and Management. Currently officers are required to collect the following information for each traffic stop:

  • Date and time of stop
  • Location of stop
  • Officer ID
  • Race, color, ethnicity, age and gender of operator of motor vehicle (based on the observation and perception of the officer)
  • Nature of alleged traffic violation and the statutory citation of the violation
  • Disposition of the stop, including whether a warning, citation or summons was issued, whether a search was conducted and whether a custodial arrest was made
Complaint Reports. A notice must be given to the person stopped

ComplainT Reports

A notice must be given to the person stopped that if the person believes they have been stopped, detained or subject to a search based on a protected class they may file a complaint with the appropriate law enforcement agency.

  • Instructions on how to file a complaint must be given to the person stopped
  • A standardized methose should be established to report complaints
  • Secretary of the Office of Police and Management if municipal police departments and Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) fail to comply with the law to order appropriate penalties in the form of withholding of state funds.
Know Your rights
Failure to Comply. Authority is given to the Secretary of the Office of Police and Management to order penalties for failure to comply.

Failure to Comply

Authority given to the Secretary of the Office of Police and Management if municipal police departments and Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) fail to comply with the law to order appropriate penalties in the form of withholding of state funds.