In 2014, the ACLU of Illinois continued our historic work to ensure that law enforcement in our state acts in a fair and equitable way, rather than targeting people of color for more police stops, searches and arrests.

Once again, we called attention to the misuse of police discretion which subjects more drivers of color to so-called "consent searches" after a routine traffic stop -- even though these searches were far more likely to yield contraband when white motorists are searched.

Our lawsuit against the City of Chicago – challenging the unfair and inequitable manner in which police are deployed – won a significant victory in appellate court, propelling the issue forward. Our data shows that residents in communities of color wait up to 13 minutes to have a police car dispatched after an emergency 9-1-1 call, while residents in white districts wait approximately 2 minutes.

Our work on the use of stop-and-frisk tactics by the Chicago police is beginning to take hold – with more residents coming forward to report the use of these harsh practices against

youth of color. We are pressuring the City of Chicago to better track and record the use of this tactic.


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