Cranston Police Chief Fires Back at ACLU RI for "Inaccuracies and Falsehoods"

Cranston Police Chief Fires Back at ACLU RI for "Inaccuracies and Falsehoods"

Colonel Michael Winquist of the Cranston Police Department is firing back at a letter from the ACLU of Rhode Island.

Winquist says the letter from Steve Brown, head of The ACLU in RI, sent to Mayor Kenneth Hopkins and the Cranston City Council is “misleading.”

Hopkins has declined to comment on the ACLU's allegations,

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

“This letter is replete with inaccuracies and falsehoods. It is accurate that there has been a long-standing directive in place that Patrol Officers perform the fundamental and vital practice of traffic enforcement by initiating two traffic stops during their eight-hour patrol shift,” said Winquist.

“Traffic enforcement is the responsibility and duty of every police officer around the country. It has been made clear to all of our officers and is codified in policy that enforcement is to be done impartially and for observable violations of Rhode Island traffic laws. These stops are not ‘investigative stops,’” said Winquist.

According to the Cranston Chief, “An investigative stop is based on reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed. Officers focus on flagrant traffic violations that pose a serious risk to the motoring public. Officers have complete discretion on the decision to issue a traffic citation or a warning.”

The ACLU made a number of charges including that the Cranston Police are targeting minority drivers, “To see a police department brazenly violate the law in this manner is unconscionable. Worse, it undoubtedly helps explain the Cranston Police Department’s consistently disturbing racial disparities in stopping and searching cars, as documented by annual analyses of traffic stop data performed pursuant to state law by Central Connecticut State University.”  READ ALL THE ACLU HERE

 

No Quota

Winquist says that his Department does not have a ticket quota policy, "There is no expectation or requirement that an Officer must issue two traffic tickets during their shift, which would violate the Rhode Island General law regarding the prohibition of ticket quotas. According to this law, 'a quota means any requirement regarding the number of arrests or investigative stops made, or summonses or citations issued, by an officer regarding motor vehicle traffic or parking violations.' Most often, traffic stops end with a warning and an educational interaction with the public."

Winquist calls out the ACLU for errors in his claims, "ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown inaccurately refers to a Rhode Island General law prohibiting ticket quotas and investigatory stops. He then attempts somehow to correlate our commitment to traffic enforcement to racial profiling. It is made clear in all of the reports authored by Central Connecticut State University that racial disparities identified through statistical analysis 'cannot without further investigation provide sufficient evidence that racial profiling exists.' Our department voluntarily met with researchers from Central Connecticut State University and provided data beyond what is required under the law."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Brown feels some traffic laws should be discarded, such as 'crossing the centerline for a moment,' which could be indicative of an impaired operator. The Cranston Police Department will continue to perform our lawful duty and responsibility to keep the roadways safe for children, families, pedestrians, and the general motoring public," adds Winquist.

This is just the battle war of words and legal fighting between the City of Cranston and the ACLU.