MARKSVILLE CITY COUNCIL PASSES RACIAL PROFILING POLICY

MARKSVILLE - With increased incidents of alleged racial profiling by
police across the United States, the city of Marksville held a
special meeting Tuesday night to vote on a policy that would
eliminate racial profiling in the Avoyelles Parish town.

City councilwoman Janet Gros said Mayor Richard Michel called for the
special meeting in order to get the new policy on the books before
Wednesday, which was a deadline created by the state legislature
encouraging all state municipalities to implement a no racial
profiling policy.

"If we adopted the policy by (Aug. 15) then we wouldn't have to go
through a bunch of extra paperwork," Gros said.

City councilwoman Joyce Prier said all five council members voted to
implement the racial profiling policy.

"They can't just stop you" because of your race, Prier said. "They
have to have a real reason for stopping you."

Prier and Gros both said they were encouraged to fight racial
profiling by Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. Archer was the keynote
speaker at the Louisiana Municipal Association's annual meeting in
Alexandria last week.

Archer, who is black, said he was once a victim of racial profiling
in his home state.

Prier said Marksville Police Chief Newman Greenhouse was at the
special meeting and agreed wholeheartedly that he would make sure the
police department followed the racial profiling policy.

Greenhouse was not available for comment Wednesday, but Assistant
Chief John Augustine said there have been no problems or reports of
racial profiling in Marksville.

One black Marksville resident and civil right activist, Allen Holmes,
said he applauds the city council and police department for seeing
the need for such a policy - especially after he was a victim of
racial profiling in Marksville four years ago.

"I was coming home from New Orleans late one night, at about 3 a.m.,
and just as I got into Marksville, I was tailed all the way over by
the school board office," Holmes said.

At that point, he said the lights came on and he was pulled over.

"They hollered for me to get out of the car," Holmes said. "They said
I crossed the double yellow line, but I had not crossed it."

Within minutes the officers recognized Holmes and apologized, saying
they were looking for a white Lexus much like the one Holmes was
driving that night.

"This sort of thing happens to blacks all the time," Holmes said.
"I've had it happen to me at least three times."

Holmes said blacks and other minorities are targeted in cities all
over the country if they are driving a nice car. At the same time,
Holmes acknowledges that drug dealers are a problem.

"But not all black people are drug dealers," Holmes said. "The police
need to implement a training program so racial profiling does not
occur."