Panel targets racial profiling

Jace Radke

Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 | 10:45 a.m.

Racial profiling is the target of community leaders who met Thursday night to outline a strategy to end the alleged practices at area police departments.

Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, Gary Peck, Executive Director of the Nevada American Civil Liberties Union, and Gene Collins, president of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, were among those gathered at the West Las Vegas Library Thursday to develop a strategy.

The meeting was part of activities inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Week, Williams said. He was a founder of the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Las Vegas.

"We have to go beyond accumulating information about instances of racial profiling," Williams said. "We need to mandate some clear direction to the police in Nevada."

Williams, who authored a bill that allowed municipalities to create citizen police review boards, plans to introduce legislation addressing profiling, police accountability and the protection of officers who come forward to blow the whistle on illegal or questionable practices by fellow officers.

Racial profiling, also called "driving while black (or brown)," and the use of force are at the heart of efforts by Williams, Peck, Collins and other activists to install a civilian police review board in North Las Vegas. Racial profiling occurs when an officer stops someone for no other reason than that they fit the profile of someone likely to be engaged in illegal activities.

Christine Brady, an official of the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County, serves as a member of the Las Vegas Civilian Police Review Board. She says that many people have experienced racial profiling in the Las Vegas Valley.

"The thing that disturbs me is the dehumanizing effect that it has," Brady said. "It's one of the reasons I wanted to volunteer to be a part of the review board. I've experienced it, and whether you're black, brown, or white, you shouldn't have to go through that."

Peck agreed and reminded the group that instances of racial profiling have to be reported if something positive is going to be done about it.

"The problem is that people are either in denial of the existence of the problem or that people are scared to come forward," Peck said. "We have to demand that people talk about and acknowledge that these problems exist."

Victims of racial profiling can call 877-6-PROFILE or go online at www.aclunv.org to make a report.