20-501 Racial profiling; legislative intent.
Racial profiling is a practice that presents a great danger to the fundamental principles of a democratic society. It is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. Motorists who have been stopped by the police for no reason other than the color of their skin or their apparent nationality or ethnicity are the victims of discriminatory practices.
Source: Laws 2001, LB 593, § 1. Effective date September 1, 2001.
20-502 Racial profiling prohibited.
(1) No member of the Nebraska State Patrol or a county sheriff's office, officer of a city or village police department, or member of any other law enforcement agency in this state shall engage in racial profiling. The disparate treatment of an individual whose motor vehicle has been stopped by a law enforcement officer is inconsistent with this policy.
(2) Racial profiling shall not be used to justify the detention of an individual or to conduct a motor vehicle stop.
Source: Laws 2001, LB 593, § 2. Effective date September 1, 2001.
20-503 Terms, defined.
For purposes of sections 20-501 to 20-505:
(1) Disparate treatment means differential treatment of persons on the basis of race, color, or national origin;
(2) Motor vehicle stop means any stop of a motor vehicle; and
(3) Racial profiling means detaining an individual or conducting a motor vehicle stop based upon disparate treatment of an individual.
Source: Laws 2001, LB 593, § 3. Effective date September 1, 2001.
20-504 Written policy; records maintained; immunity.
(1) On or before January 1, 2002, the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall adopt a written policy that prohibits the detention of any person or a motor vehicle stop when such action is motivated by racial profiling and the action would constitute a violation of the civil rights of the person.
(2) With respect to a motor vehicle stop, on and after January 1, 2002, the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall record and retain the following information using the form developed and promulgated pursuant to section 20-505:
(a) The number of motor vehicle stops;
(b) The characteristics of race or ethnicity of the person stopped. The identification of such characteristics shall be based on the observation and perception of the law enforcement officer responsible for reporting the motor vehicle stop and the information shall not be required to be provided by the person stopped;
(c) If the stop is for a law violation, the nature of the alleged law violation that resulted in the motor vehicle stop;
(d) Whether a warning or citation was issued, an arrest made, or a search conducted as a result of the motor vehicle stop. Search does not include a search incident to arrest or an inventory search; and
(e) Any additional information that the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, or any other law enforcement agency in this state, as the case may be, deems appropriate.
(3) The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice may develop a uniform system for receiving allegations of racial profiling. The Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall provide to the commission
(a) a copy of each allegation of racial profiling received and
(b) written notification of the review and disposition of such allegation. No information revealing the identity of the law enforcement officer involved in the stop shall be used, transmitted, or disclosed in violation of any collective bargaining agreement provision or personnel rule under which such law enforcement officer is employed. No information revealing the identity of the complainant shall be used, transmitted, or disclosed in the form alleging racial profiling.
(4) Any law enforcement officer who in good faith records information on a motor vehicle stop pursuant to this section shall not be held civilly liable for the act of recording such information unless the law enforcement officer's conduct was unreasonable or reckless or in some way contrary to law.
(5) On or before October 1, 2002, and annually thereafter until January 1, 2004, the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and all other law enforcement agencies in this state shall provide to the commission, in such form as the commission prescribes, a summary report of the information recorded pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
(6) On and after January 1, 2002, and until January 1, 2004, the commission may, within the limits of its existing appropriations, provide for a review of the prevalence and disposition of motor vehicle stops based on racial profiling and allegations reported pursuant to this section. The results of such review shall be reported to the Governor and the Legislature on or before April 1, 2004.
Source: Laws 2001, LB 593, § 4. Effective date September 1, 2001.
20-505 Forms authorized.
On or before January 1, 2002, the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, the Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety, the Attorney General, and the State Court Administrator may adopt and promulgate:
(1) A form, in printed or electronic format, to be used by a law enforcement officer when making a motor vehicle stop to record personal identifying information about the operator of such motor vehicle, the location of the stop, the reason for the stop, and any other information that is required to be recorded pursuant to subsection (2) of section 20-504 and
(2) a form, in printed or electronic format, to be used to report an allegation of racial profiling by a law enforcement officer.
Source: Laws 2001, LB 593, § 5. Effective date September 1, 2001.