A coalition of civil rights leaders is set to introduce the creation of a statewide “police discrimination hotline” in Denver today, meant to to take complaints and offer services to individuals who claim to be racially profiled by members of law enforcement.The Colorado Progressive Coalition, a group of community activists who advocate for a variety of civil rights issues, is behind the project, claiming that concerns over police discrimination against immigrants and people of color motivated the coalition to create the hotline.
Volunteers are expected to staff the phone line to see if callers are in need of legal assistance and help will be offered in cases where formal complaints should be filed with police departments. Spanish speakers will also be able to use the hotline, according to the coalition.
In 2001 the state Legislature passed a measure with provisions to require law enforcement in Denver to report key information regarding traffic stops, including the reason for the stop, any arrests as a result of such stops, and the race, gender, or age of those detained during the stops. The provisions expired in 2004, and the coalition claims that such a hotline is one of the only ways to obtain information about racial profiling incidents.
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