Protest Over City’s Expansion of ‘Profiling’ Definition

A proposal by a New York City city council member to expand the definition of racial profiling has met with strong opposition by the city’s police unions, who say the bill would prevent officers from broadcasting even the most basic facts about a suspect, such as race, gender or age. A half-page ad in the New York Post paid for by the Captains Endowment Association showed a blindfolded officer standing on a street corner. “How effective is a police officer with a blindfold on?” the ad asked. The bill was proposed by Jumaane Williams (Brooklyn), and it would expand existing language about racial profiling, and the ability of citizens to pursue complaints with the police department. But according to the unions, the bill would limit descriptions of people to only their clothing. Any mention of other characteristics would put the officer in jeopardy of a complaint, the unions claimed. Williams said the unions were misrepresenting his proposal, and that it only adds additional groups to those being provided protection. Read more about the opposition here, and read the full text of the proposed bill here.