Police Practices

Police officers have a unique role and position within our society. Yet police abuse continues to be a major concern, particularly in poor communities and communities of color. 

The ACLU of Northern California’s Police Practices Project monitors police abuses and promotes accountability and oversight. Using legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing, litigation, and public education, the Project works to ensure that police officers do their jobs without violating individuals’ constitutional rights.

ACLU-NC Urges BART Police to Implement Policy Changes
The ACLU of Northern California and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights have written a letter to the BART Police Department to convey our deep concerns about BART's failure to implement key policy changes
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Costs and Consequences: The High Price of Policing Immigrant Communities
This report reviews both legal and policy considerations for police practices in immigrant communities – from traffic stops and unnecessary arrests to immigration-based detention in local jails, including vechicle checkpoints and impoundments. Details are included on the financial and human costs of these practices, including several personal stories.

The report is accompanied by a summary of cost-saving proposals for the consideration of law enforcement, policymakers and community leaders.
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Video - Policías usan dinero en leyes migratorias
Police practices with immigration consequences take a significant toll on local budgets and communities. Watch the ACLU-NC weigh in on Univision's national newscast on how local practices that target immigrant communities are harmful and costly to everyone.
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Ver el video en espanol - Tus Derechos Ante la Policia
La constitución de los EE.UU garantiza los derechos y las libertades fundamentals de todos, sin importar estatus migratorio. El video detalla el que hacer--y no hacer--si te enfrentas con la policía. El contenido del video solo aplica al estado de California. / The U.S. Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and liberties to all residents of this country, regardless of immigration status. This video has tips for what to do--and not do--if you are stopped by the police. The information in the video applies only to the state of California.
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ACLU Urges San Francisco Police Commission to Reject Taser Proposal
ACLU-NC expressed concerns about Taser use at a hearing of the San Francisco Police Commission, noting that while the devices are less lethal than firearms they still constitute a significant level of force. The commission voted against adopting Tasers.
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ACLU Issues Report on the Proliferation of Video Surveillance Systems in California
California cities are moving quickly to install video surveillance cameras on public streets and plazas without regulations, with little or no public debate, and without an evaluation of their effectiveness. "Under the Watchful Eye," a new report issued by the California ACLU affiliates, examines the justifications for and consequences of this dramatic expansion in government video surveillance of public space at the local level.
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Stun Gun Fallacy: How the Lack of Taser Regulation Endangers Lives
Over a recent five-year period, at least 148 people in the United States and Canada have died after encounters with police who shocked them with Tasers. In one recent year alone, there were 77 post-Taser fatalities around the nation. Fifteen of those fatalities were in Northern and Central California.
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