State Representative
Rich Stanek

Racial profiling police officers disproportionately stopping certain individuals because of their ethnicity is more than racial prejudice, said House Crime Prevention Chairman Rich Stanek . Such a practice could potentially drive a wedge between minority neighborhoods and the officers assigned to protect them.

Recent studies and media reports say that Minnesota has one of the largest disparities between blacks and whites in arrest and incarceration rates. Whether or not this indicates a racial bias by officers, Stanek said he is personally concerned about a potential decline in the relationship between patrol officers and families in minority communities around the metro area.

Stanek, a 16-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department and one of the state's top criminal law policymakers, is working with other government leaders to build a wide coalition of law enforcement officers, minority community leaders and government policy-setters. The group will study racial profiling allegations in Minnesota and suggest ways to improve race relations while appropriately enforcing laws.

"As someone who is often out on the streets of Minneapolis, I have seen the successes of programs that bring together minority youth with peace officers, teaching them that we have the same goals for their neighborhoods and building a bridge of trust," he said. "Racial profiling real or perceived has the potential to undue all that hard work."

"We not only owe it to those kids, but to the integrity of every man and woman who puts on a uniform and puts his or her life on the line," Stanek said. "Respect is an empty word if those of us sworn to defend our citizens are targeting them instead. We will thoroughly investigate these concerns, whether that means disciplinary action or just the opportunity to improve our performance."

The task force will encompass a wide range of interested groups, including the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers, Chiefs of Police, and Sheriffs associations-- with the Minneapolis and St. Paul police chiefs and the Hennepin and Ramsey County Sheriffs; the Police Officers Standards and Training Board; the Citizens Council on Crime and Justice; representatives of African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American communities; a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court Bias Task Force; and prosecutors and public defenders across the state. Charlie Weaver, a former prosecutor and legislator who now oversees the state Highway Patrol, will also guide the group.

The Minnesota Civil Liberties Union recently urged the governor to have the state patrol keep race records of drivers they stop, to see if minorities are being unfairly targeted. Across the country, law enforcement agencies are weighing the value of race data collection in traffic stops and judging whether someone's race is a determining factor prior to traffic stops.

While members of the committee are being organized, Stanek and other leaders will lay the foundation for determining the type of information needed and the areas to collect it from. One answer may be to follow the model set by the San Diego Police Department, which was presented to a congressional committee in March. In it, community policing roles were expanded, including adding civilian duties, developing a mentoring program amongst officers and supervisors, and modifying performance evaluations. Additionally, the process of information collection helped the department to develop new technological skills to use in police work.

Currently, only three of 49 state patrol agencies nationwide require the collection of race information in all traffic stops two under state law and one by decree of the Department of Justice--but 34 others will do so if an arrest is made. Similarly, several large cities are reportedly beginning studies of racial profiling and data collection.

Separate studies are being done in Minnesota by the State Patrol, the Minneapolis Police Department and the St. Paul Police Department.

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