Mo. Senate Bill Prohibits Discriminatory Policing

ST. LOUIS, MO — Jamilah Nasheed, a Missouri Democratic lawmaker, has introduced a bill in the Missouri Senate to end racial disparities in policing and promote accountable, community-center law enforcement practices. Supported by the Missouri chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression, and other civil leadership and social justice organizations, the bill would enact a number of measures that supporters say would positively impact Missouri's economy and communities across the state.

According to the ACLU, African-American drivers in Missouri are 75 percent more likely to be stopped than whites. The bill would formally prohibit discrimination in policing, including racial profiling; require law enforcement agencies to review vehicle stop data on a yearly basis and report back to the communities they serve; and require officers face disciplinary action and receive counseling for discriminatory practices. It also strengthens Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, laying out when an officer can and cannot request a search, and requiring officers to ask for consent to search someone in easily understood language.

Proponents say the bill would build trust between communities and law enforcement and repair relationships damaged in the wake of the acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley for murder in the 2011 shooting death of black motorist Anthony Lamar Smith. A wave of protests swept the city this past fall after the verdict was announced.

"It is time Missouri treats all of its people fairly," Nasheed said. "Our state has the opportunity to lead the country in our approach to policing. This bill gives us the information to analyze and act when we see red flags with a particular law enforcement agency."

Read the bill here.

Photo: Demonstrators protest outside of the St. Louis city jail following the arrest of 123 people protesting the acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley on September 18, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Scott Olson/News/Getty Images)