Saint Paul Police Department Implements Partnership With Communities of Color

In what has been described by many as a "ground breaking" agreement, the Saint Paul Police Department, led by Chief William K. Finney and the Saint Paul Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), led by its president Nathaniel Khaliq, worked together to forge a contract, effective June 19, 2001, that was to help the police staff and community residents successfully address the issues of racial profiling and the application of biased police practices. Read the Agreement.

 

The preliminary results of a data collection effort showed, in summary, that Blacks and Hispanics were both stopped and their persons and/or vehicles searched at a rate significantly higher than Whites. This information was used by the leadership of the Saint Paul Branch of the NAACP to engage the Community Relations Service of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist in an effort to mediate concerns between the African American Community and the Police Department.

 

The agreement requires the Saint Paul Police Department to take:

• Steps to ensure that racial profiling does not occur.
• Steps to improve the operational effectiveness of the Saint Paul Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission.
• Steps to improve the communications and level of trust between the African American Community and the Police Department.