ACLU-DC Sues D.C. Police Over Stop and Frisk Data. Again.
The ACLU-DC is again suing the Metropolitan Police Department over stop and frisk data. It’s a continuation of a years-long legal battle to bring more transparency and accountability to D.C. police.
According to the ACLU-DC complaint, MPD only published stop and frisk data once in 2020, despite committing in writing to publish this data twice a year. And the agency has never published data related to stops that happened in 2020. After failing to publish this data—data the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act of 2016 requires MPD to collect—the ACLU-DC submitted a Freedom of Information Request, which the agency received on Jan. 19. But 18 business days later, MPD has yet to offer any records, request an extension, or deny the request, according to the complaint filed on Feb. 16. D.C. law gives agencies 15 business days after receiving a FOIA request to respond.
“It’s outrageous that we are still fighting with MPD five years after the NEAR Act has passed,” says Megan Yan, an ACLU-DC legal fellow who filed the suit. “This case is fundamentally about failure to follow the law.”
MPD did not respond to a request for comment.
Read more: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/508811/aclu-dc-sues-d-c-police-over-stop-and-frisk-data-again/