Fairfield to pay $25,000 profiling claim
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070502/NEWS01/705020360
FAIRFIELD - The city of Fairfield will pay $25,000 to a black Cincinnati couple who claimed they were racially profiled during a traffic stop in September.
Tony and Andrea Betts , of the Mount Airy/College Hill area, were pulled over at 11 p.m. Sept. 8 on Dixie Highway by Sgt. Jeff Sprague.
According to the police report, Tony Betts was driving 15 miles under the posted 50 mph speed limit and weaving. Sprague called in a drug-sniffing dog, but no drugs were found.
Tony Betts was cited for expired tags, according to police.
At a Sept. 12 Fairfield Council meeting, Betts said he and his wife were "embarrassed, humiliated" and their "most basic civil liberties violated."
An internal investigation released a few weeks after the incident cleared Sprague of the racial profiling claim, but the Betts persisted in their claim.
"The point of the settlement is that this family took a very bad experience and is trying to turn it into something that will help future travelers in that area from experiencing anything like that," said their attorney, Al Gerhardstein.
As part of the settlement, the city also agreed to hold two public forums about what drivers should do when they are stopped by the police. Police Chief Michael Dickey will write the couple a letter of apology and provide additional training for officers.
The city did not admit any wrongdoing.
The city also will contract with University of Cincinnati associate professor Robin Engel, director of the university's Policy Institute, to review police practices for a year at a cost of $35,000.
"This is nothing more than looking at the situation, trying to come up with a best practice that we can have our officers do to avoid future incidents," Dickey said.
Fairfield police officers have made about 15,000 traffic stops in three years, and fewer than 10 people stopped have claimed racial profiling, Dickey said. The Betts case was the only one that involved either a settlement or litigation.
FAIRFIELD - The city of Fairfield will pay $25,000 to a black Cincinnati couple who claimed they were racially profiled during a traffic stop in September.
Tony and Andrea Betts , of the Mount Airy/College Hill area, were pulled over at 11 p.m. Sept. 8 on Dixie Highway by Sgt. Jeff Sprague.
According to the police report, Tony Betts was driving 15 miles under the posted 50 mph speed limit and weaving. Sprague called in a drug-sniffing dog, but no drugs were found.
Tony Betts was cited for expired tags, according to police.
At a Sept. 12 Fairfield Council meeting, Betts said he and his wife were "embarrassed, humiliated" and their "most basic civil liberties violated."
An internal investigation released a few weeks after the incident cleared Sprague of the racial profiling claim, but the Betts persisted in their claim.
"The point of the settlement is that this family took a very bad experience and is trying to turn it into something that will help future travelers in that area from experiencing anything like that," said their attorney, Al Gerhardstein.
As part of the settlement, the city also agreed to hold two public forums about what drivers should do when they are stopped by the police. Police Chief Michael Dickey will write the couple a letter of apology and provide additional training for officers.
The city did not admit any wrongdoing.
The city also will contract with University of Cincinnati associate professor Robin Engel, director of the university's Policy Institute, to review police practices for a year at a cost of $35,000.
"This is nothing more than looking at the situation, trying to come up with a best practice that we can have our officers do to avoid future incidents," Dickey said.
Fairfield police officers have made about 15,000 traffic stops in three years, and fewer than 10 people stopped have claimed racial profiling, Dickey said. The Betts case was the only one that involved either a settlement or litigation.
posted by Scott @ 1:02 AM
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