Racial Profiling (H 5819A, S 0669A)

In May, the Senate approved legislation prohibiting police from searching juveniles and pedestrians without probable cause or reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.  For the past several years, the ACLU and other groups have worked to raise awareness of, and reduce the incidence of, racial profiling in the state, noting that black and Hispanic drivers in Rhode Island are consistently more likely than white drivers to be stopped by police and searched, even though white drivers are more likely to be found with contraband when searched. Young people in particular have also been subjected to harassing police stops and searches while walking in their neighborhoods. Passage of this legislation ensures that youth of color are not searched by police without reason to believe they are engaged in criminal activity. The Senate passed the legislation last year, but a House vote never occurred; this year, the House has passed companion legislation. The legislation now heads to the governor for her signature.