A new legislation aims to eliminate the use of profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcements based on race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. This proposed act was introduced on July 15.
The End Racial Profiling Act of 2010 (ERPA) by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. and Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Chairman Jerrold Nadler will allow the victims of profiling to file lawsuits against law enforcement agencies that violate their rights. It also provides law enforcement officials with the tools to refrain from using racial profiling tactics.
“The debate over racial profiling has become a central element in a much larger history of adversarial relationships between the police and communities of color,” Conyers said in a press release.
“It (racial profiling) simply is not an effective way to identify and apprehend criminals. What’s more, focusing on people exhibiting these immutable characteristics easily distracts and diverts the attention of law enforcement in ways that can prove disastrous to public safety,” Nadler said in the same release.
Executive director of OneAmerica Pramila Jayapal considers the legislation a landmark and said in a press release, “Profiling erodes trust between law enforcement agencies and immigrant communities of color. This bill represents civil rights legislation that is long overdue.” ♦
