Home : Police Practices

ACLU Report Documents Continued Racial Profiling Problems in Rhode Island; Calls for Changes in Police Practices (01/05/2007)
PROVIDENCE, RI - In a 36-page report released today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island charged that many police departments in the state are doing very little to address the well-documented problem of racial profiling that exists in their communities, and that changes in various law enforcement policies and practices that contribute to the problem are essential to adequately confront the issue.

NYCLU Challenge to Subway Searches: Background on the Plaintiffs (08/04/2005)

April 5th, 2004, DOJ OLC Opinion Condoning Controversial FBI Surveillance Tactics (08/16/2004)
The Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel issued this previously undisclosed memorandum in support of the FBI's controversial surveillance of peaceful protesters. The memo was issued in response to an internal complaint by a government employee.

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.

Stories of ACLU Clients Swept Up in the Hearne Drug Bust of November 2000 (11/01/2002)

Poster Commemorating Louis Torres (10/24/2002)

6/24/95 Wendy Kaminer on Crime (03/04/2002)
OnlineHost: Wendy Kaminer is a public policy fellow at : Radcliffe College and a contributing editor at The : Atlantic Monthly. A lawyer and social critic, she : received a Guggenheim Fellowship for her most : recent book, "It's All the Rage: Crime and : Culture." On Friday, she presented an overview of : criminal justice issues to a special plenary : session of the ACLU's 75th Anniversary Biennial : Conference.

Gun Control (03/04/2002)
The ACLU has often been criticized for "ignoring the Second Amendment" and refusing to fight for the individual's right to own a gun or other weapons. This issue, however, has not been ignored by the ACLU. The national board has in fact debated and discussed the civil liberties aspects of the Second Amendment many times.

ACLU of Oregon Offers Free Attorneys to Targets of Justice Department "Dragnet" Investigation (03/04/2002)
PORTLAND, OR--The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon announced today that it has recruited more than 20 attorneys from around the state who have volunteered to represent without charge more than 200 individuals in the state who expect to be contacted for interviews as part of a Justice Department ""dragnet"" investigation.

Michigan Civil Rights Groups Announce "Know Your Rights" Hotline for Targets of Dragnet Investigatio (03/04/2002)
DETROIT--Citing growing concerns over law enforcement's persistent targeting and ongoing detention of Middle Eastern men, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today announced the creation of a "Know Your Rights" telephone hotline.

ACLU Applauds Local Police Departments for Refusing to Join in Justice Department "Dragnet" (03/04/2002)
NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded local police departments that have refused to cooperate with a Justice Department dragnet investigation of 5,000 immigrants, saying that the police should not be asked to ignore basic legal procedures or to use ethnic and racial origin as the basis for suspicion.

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.

Know Your Rights During Police Encounters (03/04/2002)
Police abuse is a serious national problem -- and one that especially affects young people and people of color. While many police officers do strive to be courteous, and while we all understand the stress and danger involved in policing, each of us has the right to be treated with respect -- and without abuse -- by the police.

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.

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.

With Government Poised to Investigate Thousands, ACLU of Illinois Issues Ten-Point List of Constitutional Rights (03/04/2002)
CHICAGO--In an effort to provide straightforward information to anyone who may be interviewed or investigated by law enforcement officials, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today issued a ten-point document setting forth basic, constitutional rights every person should know.

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.