Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Villa Rica Unit Warned About Racial Profiling

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 02:35:30 -0400

Villa Rica Unit Warned About Racial Profiling

U.S. Attorney William Duffey
Web Editor: Manav Tanneeru
Reported By: Walt Maciborski
Last Modified: 8/20/2003 11:47:06 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice has warned the Villa Rica Police Department against
racial profiling by its Interstate Crime Unit.

“Racial profiling is wrong and it won’t be tolerated within this district and
working with law-enforcement authorities, we sent a clear message to Villa Rica
that whenever we find people are infringing on the civil rights of other people
that we are aggressively going to investigate," said U.S. Attorney William Duffey.

The Justice Department report did not suggest disbanding the unit."We only insist,
and the law requires, that such units operate in a manne at protects suspects'
constitutional rights," Shanetta Y. Cutlar, chief of the department's Special
Litigation Section, wrote in an Aug. 13 letter to City Attorney David Mecklin.
Police in Villa Rica, along Interstate 20 about 30 miles west of Atlanta, have
taken an active role against traffic in contraband, particularly drugs.

The Justice Department report had several areas of concern, particularly in
highway interdiction. In one instance, it cited "credible allegations" that ICE
team members shine spotlights at oncoming cars to "determine the skin color of the
occupants."
The report also suggested problems with officers not recording searches and said
the unit "should expand its current efforts to document vehicle stops to ensure
accountability and conformity with policy."

The Justice Department also found deficiencies in videotaping of traffic stops. It
alleged that some officers would turn off patrol car cameras and fail to keep a
complete library of videotapes.

The letter said the department hoped to avoid a lawsuit, adding that officials
would contact city officials "to discuss a mechanism for remedying the problems."
"We're trying to be pro-active in rewriting our polices and procedures to meet
this, and then when we meet with them we'll have something already in hand," City
Manager Lamar Moody said. Moody said the investigation was under way before he
took over as city manager almost a year ago.

Villa Rica Police Chief Ned Watson also said much the same thing and added that he
was fully cooperating with federal officials.

“It’s disturbing,” he said of the report and said the entire department was under
review. “The Justice Department said we can do a better job and that’s what we are
going to, we are going to do a better job,” Watson said.

“At this stage of the proceedings, we are fully satisfied that they are taking
this seriously and they will make an appropriate response,” Duffey said. Watson
said the ICE team has gone from four members to two members, adding that the
officers that were on the ICE team during the investigation have been re-assigned.

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=35590

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Justice Department says Villa Rica police engaged in racial profiling

The Associated Press - VILLA RICA, Ga.

The U.S. Department of Justice has warned the Villa Rica Police
Department against racial profiling by the its Interstate Crime Unit.

The Justice Department report did not suggest disbanding the unit.

We only insist, and the law requires, that such units operate in a
manner that protects suspects constitutional rights, Shanetta Y. Cutlar,
chief of the departments Special Litigation Section, wrote in an Aug.
13 letter to City Attorney David Mecklin.

Police in Villa Rica, along Interstate 20 about 30 miles west of Atlanta,
have taken an active role against traffic in contraband, particularly
drugs.

The Justice Department report had several areas of concern,
particularly in highway interdiction. In one instance, it cited credible
allegations that ICE team members shine spotlights at oncoming cars
to determine the skin color of the occupants.

The report also suggested problems with officers not recording searches
and said the unit should expand its current efforts to document vehicle
stops to ensure accountability and conformity with policy.

The Justice Department also found deficiencies in videotaping of
traffic stops. It alleged that some officers would turn off patrol car
cameras and fail to keep a complete library of videotapes.

The letter said the department hoped to avoid a lawsuit, adding that
officials would contact city officials to discuss a mechanism for
remedying the problems.

Were trying to be pro-active in rewriting our polices and procedures to
meet this, and then when we meet with them well have something
already in hand, City Manager Lamar Moody said.

Moody said the investigation was under way before he took over as city
manager almost a year ago.

Information from: Times-Georgian

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=17288
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feds Question Villa Rica Police Stops

POSTED: 5:27 p.m. EDT August 20, 2003

VILLA RICA -- The U.S. Justice Department has cited policing by
Villa Rica officers, saying the Carroll County department may have
improperly targeted minority motorists during traffic stops.

The department's Interstate
Crime Unit came under scrutiny
by federal officials in January
after motorists traveling on
Interstate 20 complained that
they were stopped solely
because of their race.

Federal officials have issued a
15-page report of findings,
raising questions about the
department's training and discipline. Villa Rica officials said they
are cooperating with federal officials but said the stops did not
discriminate.

"They were looking for traffic violations," said officer Steve
Osbourne, who worked in the four-man unit during the review
cited by federal officials.

Federal officials said the officers shined spotlights or headlights
into oncoming cars to determine the ethnicity of drivers before
pulling them over.

Police officials said they are concerned about the review.

"It's distressing," Police Chief Ned Watson said. "You don't want
your department to have that kind of stigma attached to it. We
are going to take those concerns that the Justice Department
has given us and we're going to correct them."

Federal officials declined to identify the drivers who lodged the
complaints.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Deidra Dukes contributed to
this report.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/2420182/detail.html

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