BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the issuance of guidance to end discriminatory profiling in Maryland, by Attorney General Brian Frosh. Senator Cardin has been the leading voice in the United States Senate calling for the end to discriminatory profiling by law enforcement at all levels nationwide.

“For years now, Attorney General Brian Frosh and I have been working to end discriminatory profiling on the state and local levels, respectively. His guidance for Maryland law enforcement instructs officers not to improperly consider race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity to any degree during police operations and investigations.  This guidance builds on the 2014 federal guidance from the Justice Department prohibiting the use discriminatory profiling by federal law enforcement officers, and I hope the Maryland guidance will spur a national trend in ending the counterproductive practice and restoring the trust between law enforcement and the communities they protect. Discriminatory profiling has no place in America. It doesn’t work, it breeds mistrust, and we have seen that it can be deadly. Civil rights should not evaporate or be forfeited after crossing a state line. I will continue to call on my colleagues in the House and Senate to pass my legislation, the End Racial Profiling Act, which would prohibit discriminatory profiling – including but not limited to racial profiling – by law enforcement at all levels, nationwide. I have also included language ending discriminatory profiling in the ‎BALTIMORE Act, along with other common sense reforms to revitalize our cities and make needed reforms to our criminal justice system. This is a strong step forward for civil rights in Maryland and I look forward to building on this momentum as we continue to work to end discriminatory profiling everywhere in America.”

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