FOES OF `PROFILING' UNITE

Blacks, Latinos Blast Police Harassment

They're tired, they said, of being targeted by police because they are
minorities. Searching for a solution, they've taken their case to the
state Legislature, even the governor. But their efforts have been
unsuccessful.

And now, the frustration shared by dozens of local residents who
allege that police officers treat minority drivers unfairly --
singling them out because of the color of their skin -- is regaining
momentum.

This time, it is at a more grass-roots level.

A racially diverse crowd of more than 100 people, mostly Latino and
black, aired their complaints Tuesday evening at a San Jose town hall
meeting organized by advocates against ``racial profiling'' -- an
alleged practice in which law enforcement officers pull over minority
drivers for minor infractions in hopes of finding evidence of more
serious crimes.

``People of color have complained for decades, and nothing has been
done to solve this problem,'' said Michelle Alexander, shouting from a
podium under a large banner that read, ``Driving while black/brown is
not a crime.''

The meeting, the first of eight to be held statewide, was organized by
the Racial Justice Coalition, a group of more than 10 civil rights
organizations formed after Gov. Gray Davis vetoed a measure that would
have required that police agencies track the race of drivers pulled
over for traffic stops.

Coalition members include the American Civil Liberties Union, National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Asian Law Caucus
and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

The issue of racial profiling has received increased national
attention as black and Latino motorists become more vocal in their
complaints to local officials.

The San Jose Police Department last year became the first law
enforcement agency in California to track the race of drivers stopped
by its officers. The department found that officers stopped black and
Latino drivers at far higher rates than it did whites and
Asian-Americans -- but Chief Bill Lansdowne denied that the
information suggested his officers are targeting minority drivers.

A number of other Bay Area police departments also are conducting
studies.

Several speakers at the town hall meeting told of being stopped, they
said, because of the color of their skin.

Shareef Allman, 38, described how he was harassed in the parking lot
of De Anza College in Cupertino, accused by a police officer of being
a drug dealer on a day when he wore lots of jewelry and a sweatshirt.

Alberto Chavez recalled three occasions when he was stopped
unnecessarily, including a time when he was riding his bicycle and
encountered a police officer disguised as a prostitute who Chavez said
solicited him. But Chavez was arrested because the officer said he
solicited her. Chavez, whose case is pending in court, said that an
audio tape his attorney obtained from police will prove he's innocent.

``We don't need to have police officers as our enemies,'' Chavez
said.

Several law enforcement officers and their superiors were in
attendance, but were not invited to speak. Some applauded after
hearing certain testimonies.

Similar forums will be held over the next few weeks in Monterey, East
Palo Alto, Stockton, Sacramento and Fresno, as new legislation, to
require police departments to track the race of drivers stopped, works
its way throughout the state Senate.

Alexander, the director of Racial Justice Coalition, urged the
audience to support the bill, and to let the governor know the
significance of the measure. The coalition, she said, is raising money
to pay for buses to transport people from throughout California to a
demonstration in Sacramento on April 27.

Contact Edwin Garcia at egarcia@sjmercury.com or (408)
920-5432.