GEORGIA Drivers: Officers profiling specific cars for searches NOVEMBER
Last edited Mon Dec 23, 2013, 11:27 AM - Edit history (1)
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/state/story/Drivers-Officers-profiling-specific-cars-for/7UOAK37lREWfYg01_AxTkQ.cspx
...Four families, an attorney, and even an officer told investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer that officers are violating drivers' rights based on the type of cars they drive....In all three of the above cases, police found nothing during the search. All of the drivers filed police department complaints. All were driving Dodge Chargers.
"I had never heard of car profiling, not until now," Williamson said.
Another Gwinnett police officer who witnessed the search filed a complaint against the officer who did it. In a written report, an internal affairs investigator admitted Williamson's 'vehicle would draw the attention of police officers.'
"He just said you're more likely to be pulled over because of the Dodge Charger and because of the theft of Dodge Chargers and because of the way they're built they're more likely to have a bunch of drugs in them," Williamson said.
"To suggest that driving a particular type of car indicates you're committing a crime is ridiculous," said attorney Mark Bullman, who has already filed a lawsuit against DeKalb County, alleging a pattern of illegal car searches by officers
...
But a metro-area K-9 officer told Channel 2 he is often asked to provide that 'suspicion' by having his dog show up and alert on the outside of the car, which gives officers the authority to search the inside.
"They're hitting when they shouldn't be hitting and then the second issue is that the handlers are cuing the dogs, causing them to hit and then using that as the impetus to then improperly or illegally search the vehicle," the officer said, asking not to be identified.
He said he's also noticed a pattern.
"Your Chargers, certain Chevy vehicles we're seeing, your Challengers, and vehicles of that nature. They're being targeted specifically because young black men are driving those vehicles," the officer said...
Shenita Hampton said she's not willing to take the risk, "My husband and I, we decided to get rid of [the car] because we're hearing more and more stories of Chargers being pulled over, and I didn't want to go through that anymore."
DeKalb Police Chief Cedric Alexander told Fleischer his officers do not target specific cars. All of the above-mentioned cases happened before Alexander joined the department; however he says there is now constant training and reinforcement of proper search procedures and good customer service.
= new reply since forum marked as read
