The following statement can be attributed to ACLU of Kentucky Deputy Director T Gonzales:
“While we recognize there are legitimate law enforcement interests in being able to identify subjects of an investigation, there is a significant risk in allowing Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) to selectively enforce Louisville’s anti-masking ordinance. Whether officers’ actions are based on a “totality of circumstances” or some other equally vague standard, the ordinance could easily be used as a pretext to disproportionately detain people of color. This concern is not merely hypothetical, as LMPD has an unfortunately well-documented history of abusive practices, as has been noted by the US Department of Justice.
To the extent LMPD seeks to overcome its own past, we encourage the department to develop specific guidelines to govern circumstances under which an individual may be detained for purportedly violating the anti-mask ordinance, to minimize the risk of it being used disproportionately on communities of color.”
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislature and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms. For additional information, visit our website at: www.aclu-ky.org.