Home : Police Practices

Rhode Island Supreme Court Orders City to Pay Costs in Police Misconduct Open Records Case (04/21/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- In the near-final chapter of a long-running "open records" lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union against the police department here, the State Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that city cannot charge a community group for the costs of providing copies of internal police misconduct reports.

ACLU and Denver Officials Agree to Resolve Lawsuit over Notorious Police "Spy Files" (04/17/2003)
DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado today announced the settlement of its landmark lawsuit challenging the Denver Police Department's practice of monitoring and recording the peaceful protest activities of local residents and keeping criminal intelligence files on the free-speech activities of law-abiding advocacy groups, some of who were falsely labeled as "criminal extremist."

In Response to NYCLU Demand, Police Stop Interrogating Protesters About Political Activity (04/10/2003)
NEW YORK -- In response to a demand made by the New York Civil Liberties Union earlier this week, police officials have agreed to halt a recently implemented secret program of interrogating protesters about their political affiliations and prior demonstration activities, the NYCLU announced today.

ACLU of Northern California Seeks Answers to Police Attack on Non-Violent Protesters (04/09/2003)
OAKLAND, CA-The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and representatives from civil rights groups today sent a letter to the chief of police here expressing "extreme concern" over yesterday's attack by law enforcement officers on non-violent anti-war protesters at the Port of Oakland.

ACLU of Nebraska Announces Settlement with County Sheriff's Department in Misconduct Case (04/04/2003)
LINCOLN, NE--The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed on behalf of a Hispanic man investigating citizen complaints who himself became a victim of police misconduct at the hands of a county sheriff's department.

ACLU Files Class-Action Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional Mass Arrest of Antiwar Demonstrators in Washington (03/27/2003)
WASHINGTON- In a lawsuit filed in federal court today, the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area charged police officials with deliberately violating the constitutional rights of more than 400 peaceful antiwar demonstrators and bystanders by directing them into a police trap and then arresting them although they had not violated the law.

ACLU of Northern CA Expresses Concerns About Police Tactics Used During Anti-War Protests in San Francisco (03/25/2003)
SAN FRANCISCO -- In a letter sent today to the city's acting chief of police, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California expressed concerns about some of the police tactics used in dealing with anti-war protests that resulted in the arrests of more than 1,500 people over the last several days.

ACLU of IL Files Lawsuit Charging Illegal Police Detention and Search of U.S. Olympic Athlete (03/24/2003)
CHICAGO--A member of the 2002 United States Winter Olympic Team was illegally stopped, detained and searched by police officers here, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

In Wake of Scandal, New ACLU Report Calls for Major Reforms in San Francisco Police Department (03/12/2003)
SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California issued a report today calling for major reforms in the San Francisco Police Department in the wake of the recent indictments of high-ranking officers. The report, titled "Roadmap to Reform -- Strengthening the Accountability Mechanisms of the San Francisco Police Department," outlines steps that should be taken to strengthen accountability in the Department.