Home : Police Practices

New Policy on Pepper Spray in Oregon (02/25/2000)
Eugene, OR -- To spray or not to spray? That is the question Eugene police officers will have to ask twice before taking aim with a can of pepper spray, the Register-Guard reported.

ACLU Calls on Los Angeles To Fund Review of Scandal-Plagued Police Department (02/15/2000)
LOS ANGELES -- Saying that a vote to increase resources to an existing commission is insufficient, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today called on Mayor Riordan to appoint an independent, blue-ribbon civilian commission to thoroughly review the operations and policies of the LAPD in the wake of the growing scandal rocking the department.

Groups Challenge FBI Wiretap Standards, Say FCC Decision Threatens Communications Privacy (01/20/2000)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Leading Internet privacy advocates today asked a federal appeals court to block new rules that would enable the FBI to dictate the design of the nation's communication infrastructure. The challenged rules would enable the Bureau to track the physical locations of cellular phone users and potentially monitor Internet traffic.

Supreme Court Defends Driver's License Privacy, But Fails to Protect "Man on the Street," ACLU Says (01/12/2000)
NEW YORK -- Ruling in two key cases today, the United States Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the validity of a federal law prohibiting states from disclosing driver's license information, but broadened the right of police to stop people on the street for questioning.

ACLU of Washington WTO Flyer (12/06/1999)
SEATTLE - The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington is closely monitoring police treatment of WTO protesters and residents of Seattle. We are looking for information about incidents of police action against citizens that have occurred during the WTO conference.

ACLU of Michigan Challenges Police Arrests of People Who Refuse to Identify Themselves (11/29/1999)
EAST LANSING, MI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed a lawsuit against city and police officials here, challenging the constitutionality of the police department's practice of arresting, detaining and prosecuting people for refusing to produce identification upon demand.

Groups Initiate Court Challenge to FBI Wiretap Standards; Say FCC Decision Threatens Communications Privacy (11/18/1999)
WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center today asked a federal appeals court to block new rules that would enable the FBI to dictate the design of the nation's communication infrastructure.

Groups Call on Justice Dept. to Maintain Court-Ordered Police Reforms in Pittsburgh (11/17/1999)
PITTSBURGH -- In a letter sent today to the U.S. Department of Justice, a broad coalition of 20 community and national rights groups are urging officials to reject efforts to end a court-monitored decree requiring sweeping reforms in the city's police department.

Federal Appeals Court Says Police Interrogation Tactics Violated "Miranda" Rights (11/08/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- In a ringing affirmation of the decades-old "right to remain silent" during police interrogations, a federal appeals court today ruled that the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Police Departments had unconstitutionally authorized police officers to interrogate suspects even after they invoked their rights.

ACLU Calls on Los Angeles Police Commission to Require LAPD to Collect Traffic Stop Statistics (10/20/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- In a letter to the Los Angeles Police Commission, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the panel to require the Los Angeles Police Department to collect traffic stop statistics, including the race and ethnicity of the driver.

Facing ACLU Lawsuit, Rhode Island Agrees to Return $860 to Wrongfully Accused Woman (10/15/1999)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- In a sudden reversal, Rhode Island officials today agreed to return the $860 dollars confiscated from a woman who was falsely arrested for drug dealing by a now-discredited "Strike Force" unit.

ACLU Says Rhode Island Woman is Victim of "State-Sanctioned Piracy" by Drug Task Force (10/14/1999)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is entering court today on behalf of a woman wrongfully accused of drug dealing who has spent more than three years seeking the return of $860 confiscated from her by a narcotics "Strike Force."

ACLU Settles Lawsuit Brought By MA Needle Exchange Worker (10/08/1999)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today settled a lawsuit against the City of Cambridge and several police officers on behalf of a man who was arrested for possession of hypodermic needles, held for more than two days, and denied his epilepsy medications, even though he showed the police evidence that he was an outreach worker for Boston's needle exchange program.