POLICE: NO EVIDENCE OF RACIAL PROFILING

Report Finds No Systematic Problem

Racial profiling is not a serious problem in Virginia, according to a
long-awaited report released yesterday by the head of the Virginia State
Police.

Col. W. Gerald Massengill, superintendent of the state police, said the
report found "no hard evidence of any institutional or systemic problem in
Virginia." However, the best way to fight racial profiling is by developing
a strong policy against it, provide training and promote accountability.

In an appearance before the House Militia, Police and Public Safety
Committee yesterday morning, Massengill said it's a matter of public trust.

"I don't think anyone that's re-sponsible for managing a police department,
either as a superintendent, chief or sheriff, can know what's in the hearts
of each individual officer," Massengill said.

"And there-fore, because of the nature of the very problem, that sends a
strong and clear recommendation for measures that we know will work to
address any problem that might be going on out there."

The report, prepared in conjunction with the Virginia Sher-iffs'
Association and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, came at the
request of the police committee last year amid allegations by some drivers
that law enforcement officers target minorities.

Massengill said the data collected doesn't support that claim. Between 1997
and Oct. 1, 2001, the state police received 63 racial discrimination
complaints and none was sustained, the report showed. That's out of an
average of about 1.3 million contacts a year with troopers.

A state police study of 333,104 traffic and criminal arrests between April
29 and Dec. 15 of last year showed that the racial breakdown roughly
reflects the state's population.

"I'm awful pleased to report to you today there's nothing alarming at all
about this report," Massengill said.

Gov. Mark R. Warner is pushing a bill this session that would expand
cultural diversity training for police and develop a model
anti-discrimination policy that local police agencies could adopt. He said
he was pleased to see that the state police report didn't find a widespread
problem and stressed the need for training.

"This kind of effort will, I believe, work to law enforcement's benefit
because it will give Virginians the confidence that . . . racial profiling
is not practiced," Warner said.

That bill, carried by Del. Kenneth R. Melvin, D-Portsmouth, is expected to
be heard Wednesday by the House General Laws Committee. But part of the
problem is that motorists who feel they were singled out for "driving while
black" don't often tell police, Melvin said.

"Colonel Massengill is one of the people in the state whom I hold in the
highest regard, so when he tells me those are the results, I believe that,"
Melvin said. "But I also know that racial profiling is grossly underreported."

No one from the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP could be reached
yesterday for comment.

John Jones, executive director of the Virginia Sheriffs' Association, said
80 percent of the state's sheriffs responded to the survey. Nearly all said
they had not received complaints from citizens or citizen groups about
racial profiling.

The survey showed that 85 percent of the sheriffs said their departments
had no written policy prohibiting racial profiling, and that many would
consider adopting one. The state police has a policy banning racial
profiling, the report said.

"We believe the results of the survey are revealing that, while racial
profiling is not a significant problem in terms of the extensiveness, any
racial profiling, any identified problem in this area is significant in
terms of public confidence in law enforcement, and it must be dealt with,"
Jones said.

The police chiefs association reported a response rate of 41 percent,
though the report pointed out that those departments represent 5 million of
the state's 7 million residents.

More than half - 55 percent - of the agencies reported no complaints
alleging racial profiling. Only three departments reported founded
complaints, the report said.