WHEREAS, in a free society, law enforcement is entrusted and expected to protect the civil rights of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of police officers perform their duty in a professional and impartial manner free from bias; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes that tensions created by some police contacts with citizens have become a concern to police and citizens alike; and

WHEREAS, this tension has been heightened by allegations of bias profiling and discriminatory practices, and the IACP in November 1998, conducted a forum addressing one of these areas of concern, traffic stops; and

WHEREAS, the IACP has recognized the important nature and necessity of traffic stops as a vital and effective law enforcement tool that saves lives, reduces injuries and other crimes; and

WHEREAS, traffic stops have been proven to reduce street and violent crimes, increase the apprehension of criminal offenders, combat illegal drug activities, illegal guns and other crimes; and

WHEREAS, forum participants acknowledged that bias, real or perceived, is detrimental to the relationship between police and the community they serve and erodes the basic foundations of trust affecting community policing; and

WHEREAS, participants at this forum developed a series of recommendations to reassure the community that their concerns are being addressed and that steps are being taken to correct problems where they occur; and

WHEREAS, participants at this forum unacknowledged that to strengthen trust and confidence between law enforcement and the community, its citizens and officers must have mutual respect; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP reaffirms its long standing position against biased enforcement or any other type of discriminatory practices; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP does not endorse, train, teach, support, or condone any type of bias profiling by any law enforcement agency or individual acting under color of law; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that it is the law enforcement executives, in conjunction with their officers, who have the responsibility to open dialogue and discussion with community groups to produce guidelines for police policies, operational procedures, and training programs; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages the law enforcement profession to employ the recommendations of the Professional Traffic Stops Forum along with the recommendations that are developed at future IACP forums; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP hereby commits its resources and energies to work at all levels to enhance trust between police and the communities they serve.