In a great step forward in the fight to end racial and ethnic discrimination, Assemblyman Tom Alfano joined a bipartisan coalition of members of the New York State Assembly in supporting a bill put forth to end racial and ethnic profiling in New York State. The purpose of the bill is to stop the practice of racial profiling in law enforcement agencies.

The bill will eliminate the ability of police and the law enforcement agencies to stop individuals in their cars or on the streets solely on the basis of race or ethnicity. It will also prevent law enforcement officials from detailing or frisking these individuals without legal justification or probable cause.

Assemblyman Alfano explains, "Many people of color have been discriminated against and unjustly stopped and searched for no reason other than their skin color by law enforcement officers. It seems obvious to me that this is a violation of our basic legal rights as Americans. I cannot and will not defend racial profiling as a legitimate law enforcement policy."

The United States Department of Justice found that people of color are more likely than whites to be stopped by police, more likely to be handcuffed, more likely to have their persons and vehicles searched and more likely to be arrested and have force used against them. African-Americans and Latinos are two to three times more likely than whites to report being handcuffed and have force used against them during a traffic stop.

Alfano notes, "Racism and bigotry tear at the fabric of our society and harm the ideals and moral integrity that this great nation was founded by. The use of racial profiling by our police is horrible. I am proud to support legislation that will ban its use."

Not only will this legislation make racial profiling illegal, it will require agencies to have procedures to punish those officers who engage in it. It also obliges the State of New York to track racial profiling complaints so that problems can be identified and corrected.

"Racial profiling undermines public safety by boosting distrust of the police. While there are many police officers who do not use racial profiling," Alfano explains, "for those officers that do, this legislation provides an outlet for citizen and judicial action and recourse."

The legislation banning racial and ethnic profiling will also provide those individuals harassed by racial profiling and the Attorney General the right to go to court to seek both damages and court-ordered relief from a law enforcement agency and the employees of that agency.

Alfano notes, "The fact of the matter is, racial profiling does not further law enforcement, it intrudes on an individual's constitutional rights. In banning racial and ethnic profiling, we are promoting a more democratic and free society for everyone."

Alfano pledges, "Equal action and protection under the law is one of the fundamental and most important rights guaranteed by our Constitution. This bill will ensure that people of all races and ethnicities feel safe and protected in our communities from unjust discrimination."

Alfano noted that the bill is set to be voted on in the Assembly within a week. "I'm talking to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we have a big majority for this bill," Alfano stated.