ACLU of Indiana Statement on Recent Reporting Regarding Carmel Police Department:
Fairness and equal treatment under the law are core American values that extend to our justice system and law enforcement. The Carmel Police department must take steps to reduce the alarming racial disparities occurring in the issuing of traffic tickets. Recent reporting showed that black drivers in Carmel, Indiana are receiving tickets at 18x the rate of white drivers. Racial profiling such as this tramples on people’s rights, erodes the trust between police and communities needed to advance public safety, and wastes law enforcement time and taxpayer dollars by diverting police attention from targeting threats based on evidence of wrongdoing. This level of racial disparity in policing is disturbing to see anywhere, but it is especially disappointing to see in a city where the ACLU already litigated this issue in the late 1990s. If individuals feel their rights have been violated they are encouraged to submit a legal complaint with the ACLU of Indiana.
