American Civil Liberties Union

Abuse by police continues to be a major civil liberties problem in the U.S., particularly for the poor and for people of color.  Everyone needs and deserves effective and humane law enforcement in communities and courtrooms.


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Police Practices : General : Press Releases view all

ACLU sues Denver on behalf of five innocent victims of "mistaken identity" arrests (08/11/2008)
DENVER - On behalf of five clients, the ACLU of Colorado filed suit today against the City and County of Denver and various Denver law enforcement officers, charging that in each case, "recklessly sloppy police work" resulted in the innocent plaintiff's arrest and imprisonment—as long as 26 days in one case—for crimes with which they had no connection whatsoever.

Oceanside Police Grossly Negligent in Responding to Suicidal Persons, says ACLU (08/07/2008)
SAN DIEGO – Oceanside Police mishandled a crisis negotiation in a way that may well have contributed to the suicide of a young man Grant Sattaur, 20, on December 26, 2007, the family said today at a press conference and at a hearing of the San Diego County Board of Mental Health.

ACLU Sues Denver Seeking Disclosure Of DNC-Related Purchases Of Police Equipment (05/28/2008)
DENVER -- Invoking Colorado's open records laws, the ACLU of Colorado filed suit today in Denver District Court, asking that Denver be ordered to disclose records related to budgeting for and purchase of police equipment dating from January 2007, when Denver was selected as the host city for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

ACLU Defends Border Patrol Agents for Exposing Practice of 'Shotgunning' (05/21/2008)
TUCSON – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico today filed suit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities on behalf of two CBP agents who were suspended from duty after speaking out against the agency's practice of "shotgunning traffic"--i.e., randomly stopping vehicles without reasonable suspicion. Agents Juan Curbelo and William Leafstone, Jr. have worked for the CBP for 12 years.

ACLU/SC Says LAPD Has Not Addressed Root Causes Of Last Year's Melee (05/01/2008)
One year and numerous investigations later, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has still not addressed the root causes of last year’s melee in MacArthur Park in which hundreds of peaceful demonstrators and journalists were beaten and injured by LAPD officers, according to the ACLU of Southern California.

Police Practices : General : Publications

Criminalizing the Classroom: The Over-Policing of New York City Schools (03/18/2007)
This report documents the excesses of the New York City school policing program and offers recommendations for reform.

Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Action Manual (12/01/1997)

Police Practices : General : Legal Documents view all

2006 letter to Rhode Island police chiefs (08/21/2006)
2006 letter to Rhode Island police chiefs

2004 letter to Rhode Island police chiefs (08/21/2006)
2004 letter to Rhode Island police chiefs

ACLU Complaint in The Center v. Linda Lingle (09/08/2004)

Opinion in Spencer v. Bay City (11/25/2003)

ACLU Amicus Brief in Crawford v. Washington (08/29/2003)

Police Practices : General : Legislative Documents view all

ACLU Letter to the House Judiciary Committee Urging Support and Sponsorship of H.R. 435, the Equal Access to Justice Reform Act (05/22/2006)

ACLU of Louisiana Request for DOJ investigation of the "Gretna Bridge Incident" (02/17/2006)

Attorney General John Ashcroft's Assault on Civil Liberties (Updated September 2003) (10/30/2002)

Testimony of Legislative Counsel Tim Edgar on S. 1749, The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration (04/12/2002)

Letter to Senators Schumer and Clinton on the "Federal-Local Information Sharing Act of 2001" (12/10/2001)

Police Practices : General : Resources view all

Know Your Rights: What to Do If You're Stopped by the Police (07/30/2004)
To fight police abuse effectively you need to know your rights. There are some things you should do, some things you must do and some things you cannot do. If you are in the middle of a police encounter, you need a handy and quick reference to remind you what your rights and obligations are.

New! Profiles in Injustice: National Book Tour and Discussion Panel (03/04/2002)
The ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling, along with New Press, are sponsoring a book tour featuring Profiles in Injustice: Why Racial Profiling Cannot Work, by David Harris, Prof. of Law at the University of Toledo and author of the ACLU's 1999 "Driving While Black" report.

12-04-01 Rhode Island Judge Orders Providence Police to Comply with State Racial Profiling Law (03/04/2002)
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--In response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, a state court today issued a detailed order designed to ensure that the Providence Police Department begins complying with a law that requires them to collect data on the traffic stops they conduct in order to determine if racial profiling may be occurring.

11/27/95 Eric Sterling, President National Drug Strategy Network (03/04/2002)
PhilCLU: Good evening everyone. I'm Phil Gutis, the genial host of the ACLU online series, and the ACLU's media relations director. We return tonight to one of our favorite topics -- drug policy -- and our guest is Eric Sterling, the President of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. Let me take a few moments to more fully introduce Eric and then we'll get to your questions.

ACLU of Washington Offers Free Attorneys to People Questioned in Federal "Dragnet" Investigation (03/04/2002)
SEATTLE--The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington announced today that it is offering attorneys to accompany any individuals in the state who are questioned by officials as part of a U.S. Department of Justice "dragnet" investigation.

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