Marin County Residents Testify About Law Enforcement Abuses, Marin County Residents Testify About Law Enforcement Abuses,Marin County Residents Testify About Law Enforcement Abuses, Demand Inquiry into Police Practices


For Immediate Release: February 9, 2005

SAN RAFAEL—Racial profiling and harassment, unlawful strip searches, deaths in law enforcement custody, and inaccessible complaint processes are among the allegations Marin County residents will bring to the Human Rights Commission hearing on community-police relations today. Some have complained that Marin City is used as a “training ground” for rookie officers, subjecting law-abiding residents to being stopped, questioned, and sometimes handcuffed.

The Marin County Human Rights Commission called today’s hearing in response to concerns raised by community members about encounters with local law enforcement. Representatives from the United States Department of Justice, California Department of Justice, and local law enforcement are also expected to attend the hearing.

“I know first-hand that we have work to do in building positive relationships between community members and local law enforcement,” said Human Rights Commissioner, Kerry Pierson. “That’s what this hearing is about, creating a forum to begin airing these issues, promoting mutual respect, and instilling accountability.”

The Marin Empowerment Council was established to address allegations of law enforcement abuse in Marin County, with the ultimate goal of improving community-police relations. The Council includes Marin County residents and various public interest organizations, such as ACLU of Marin, ACLU of Northern California, ISOJI, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Lawyers For One America, Legal Aid of Marin, and Marin Peace and Justice Coalition. The Council has established locations throughout Marin County where residents can report incidents involving local law enforcement.