BALTIMORE – U. S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), author of The End Racial Profiling Act, S. 1056/H.R. 1933 and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (LETIA), S. 2168, issued the following  in response to a poll released by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights  that finds strong national support for commonsense police reforms including a nationwide ban on racial profiling.

“The overwhelming majority of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are upstanding public servants who deserve our support and trust. Congress should be focused on providing every man and woman wearing a badge with the tools and training they need to do their job safely and efficiently. Racial profiling is a practice that is neither. It is un-American and wastes valuable resources. It breeds mistrust between communities and law enforcement and as we’ve seen all too often, it can be fatal. In many respects the poll released today tells us what has been clear to me for years: a cross-cutting majority of the American people want to see the practice outlawed. Our communities are safer and stronger when residents and law enforcement work together. It is my hope that this poll amplifies the countless voices calling for an end to racial profiling. Congress can answer that call by passing the End Racial Profiling Act and can begin to restore trust between law enforcement and communities by passing the BALTIMORE ACT and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act.”

###