Irondequoit Police Department

EQUITABLE POLICING

The Irondequoit police department did not have a robust policy related to bias-based policing or racial profiling. Instead, the Department had a single paragraph in a broader policy on “Professional Conduct and Responsibilities” prohibiting officers from expressing “any prejudice concerning race, religion, politics, national origin, lifestyle, or similar personal characteristics.”

Unchecked police abuse of vulnerable communities, especially communities of color, are at the heart of the nationwide movement for police accountability. Biased policing erodes trust between police and communities, weakens public safety, and can lead to constant violations of people’s constitutional rights to be free from discrimination. Prohibiting officers from expressing prejudicial views is one small element of a policy on bias-based policing, but it is by no means sufficient.

Police department policies need to embrace clear commitments to the prevention and elimination of bias. Departments must have policies that prohibit differential treatment by officers motivated by factors like a person’s actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, or housing status. And once these policies are in place, department leaders need to hold officers who engage in bias-based practices accountable.

View Documents:
Interacting with Persons with Disabilities – Policies
Interacting with Persons with Disabilities – Training Materials and Statistics
Bias-Based Profiling Policies

Additional Department Policies and Data:

• Department Diversity
• Police Misconduct
• Stops, Field Interviews, Search and Seizure
• Surveillance Technology
• Use of Force

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