Lawmakers seek to ban racial profiling – AJC Article
http://www.ajc.com/news/lawmakers-seek-to-ban-284104.html
By Ernie Suggs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few months ago, Mark Bell left his Cobb County home after 10 p.m. to go to the grocery store. The political consultant said a police car pulled in behind him. Then pulled up to his right. Then backed up and looked at his license plate. Then followed him to the store. The officer never stopped him, never said a word, but the message was clear.
“It was racial profiling,” Bell said. “Here in 2010, that is unacceptable in Georgia. A black man can’t leave his house after 10 p.m. without being profiled. You become fearful. It is mentally nerve-racking.”
To address the issue, Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) has introduced anti-racial profiling legislation, SB-325, that is intended to curb the practice of people being stopped by law enforcement because of race or ethnicity. Rep. Pedro Marin (D-Duluth) plans to introduce a similar bill in the House.