East Haven Police Department, a 14-month investigation, found guilty of racial profiling in East Haven, Connecticut, 2009.
The East Haven Police Department (EHPD) has been found to have engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against Latinos in violation of the Constitution and federal law. This was announced by the Justice Department following a thorough investigation that was launched in September 2009.
The investigation, conducted under provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, found that EHPD intentionally targets Latinos for traffic enforcement and treats Latino drivers more harshly after traffic stops in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI and the Safe Streets Act.
According to the investigation, the EHPD has willfully enabled discrimination by failing to put in place basic law enforcement practices and procedures used by law enforcement agencies across the country to prevent discrimination. The investigation found that EHPD has a number of serious deficiencies in its management, oversight and accountability systems that have enabled discriminatory policing by EHPD officers.
The investigation found that EHPD officers use non-standard and, in some cases, unacceptable, justifications for stops that are not employed against non-Latino drivers, and post-stop treatment that shows EHPD treating Latino drivers more punitively than non-Latino drivers. The investigation also found incidents of abuse of authority and retaliation against individuals who criticize or complain of EHPD’s discriminatory treatment of Latinos.
“These findings show that the East Haven Police Department systematically violated the constitutional rights of people it is supposed to serve and protect. By failing to have in place the most basic systems designed to protect individuals from unlawful discrimination, EHPD has fallen short of its obligations,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
The investigation was conducted by department attorneys, investigators and police executives and other experts. The findings are based on a statistical analysis demonstrating that Latino drivers are disproportionally targeted for traffic stops, an analysis of traffic stops showing that officers use non-standard and unacceptable justifications for stops, serious incidents of abuse of authority and retaliation, and a failure to remedy a history of discrimination and a deliberate indifference to the rights of minorities.
The Justice Department also found a number of serious deficiencies in EHPD’s management, oversight and accountability systems, including a failure to collect and report traffic stop data in accordance with state racial profiling laws, a failure to implement policies prohibiting discrimination, a failure to hold officers accountable through internal investigations, a failure to provide limited English proficient Latinos with appropriate language access, and a failure to abide by individuals’ consular rights.
The East Haven Police Department, located in East Haven, Connecticut, has been found guilty of racial profiling, violating the constitutional rights of Latinos in violation of the Constitution and federal law. The case is ongoing, and the East Haven Police Department is required to implement reforms to correct its deficiencies and regain the community’s trust.
Defendant: East Haven Police Department
Criminal Charges: Racial Profiling, Violating Constitutional Rights of Latinos
City and State: East Haven, Connecticut
Exact Date: September 2009 (investigation launched)
Sentence or Outcome: Ongoing, required to implement reforms
Dollar Amounts: None
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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