ACLU Appeals to AG for Release of LMPD Racial Profiling Report
Calls on LMPD to Be Open, Transparent with Community
Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed an Open Records Act appeal to Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway requesting that the Louisville Metro Police Department be forced to release the results of a publicly-funded racial profiling study pursuant to Kentucky’s Open Records Act.
In public forums earlier this year, Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad promised the release of the report by the end of summer 2014. When pressed by the media about the status of the report after the self-imposed deadline passed, LMPD officials stated the report had been received from researchers at the University of Louisville, but was still “under review.” The ACLU of Kentucky submitted an ORA request for the data three weeks ago, and was promised a response by October 20th. LMPD officials responded yesterday to the request in a written statement, stating the “final report has not been received.”
In explaining the ACLU’s latest effort to get the report released, Executive Director Michael Aldridge stated, “When LMPD commissioned a study of traffic stops in Jefferson County back in 2012 the goals were to determine whether the department had a problem with racial profiling and to ‘create better partnerships in the community.’ We believe LMPD has failed to demonstrate transparency and openness with the community when the release of the report was delayed beyond its promised date at the end of the summer. We strongly encourage LMPD officials to be open and forthcoming with the community in order to maintain the public’s trust.”
The ACLU of Kentucky worked closely with the Louisville Police Department in 2000 when it implemented a strict policy against racial profiling. The ACLU looks forward to the release of LMPD’s racial profiling study as part of our work to help ensure metro residents’ right to equal protection under the law is being respected.
October 21, 2014 - 10:43am
