Midland City Councilman Wants Changes To Racial Profiling Complaint Process
By: Karl Rundgren
Updated: February 26, 2013
MIDLAND -- The 2012 racial profiling report has been released for the City of Midland, but one newly-elected Tall City councilman doesn't agree with it.
The report says that there were no cases of racial profiling with the Midland Police Department in 2012.
The report also says there were no complaints of racial profiling in the Tall City in 2012.
However, Midland City Councilman John Love worries that no complaints were filed because people that want to complain don't have the ability to do so.
The complaint forms can't be found online, and the only way to file a racial profiling complaint is to go to the Midland Police Department headquarters directly.
Love went to the M.P.D. headquarters to look for the forms before he took office.
Once at the department, Love found that the forms were behind the front counter, where residents have to ask to access them.
"I think the forms and the procedures should be abundantly available, that they should be clear for citizens to see," Love told Big 2. "Me, in a suit, as Councilman-elect, if it was that difficult for me to try and get the information -- imagine how your average citizen, who does not know these procedures, feels."
Love believes that the City of Midland will get a better gauge on whether racial profiling is occurring if the complaint forms are easier to access.
Midland Police Chief Price Robinson tells Big 2 that the city goes above and beyond to prevent racial profiling.
Robinson added that M.P.D. has no plans at this time to move the racial profiling complaint forms from where they're currently located.
The report says that there were no cases of racial profiling with the Midland Police Department in 2012.
The report also says there were no complaints of racial profiling in the Tall City in 2012.
However, Midland City Councilman John Love worries that no complaints were filed because people that want to complain don't have the ability to do so.
The complaint forms can't be found online, and the only way to file a racial profiling complaint is to go to the Midland Police Department headquarters directly.
Love went to the M.P.D. headquarters to look for the forms before he took office.
Once at the department, Love found that the forms were behind the front counter, where residents have to ask to access them.
"I think the forms and the procedures should be abundantly available, that they should be clear for citizens to see," Love told Big 2. "Me, in a suit, as Councilman-elect, if it was that difficult for me to try and get the information -- imagine how your average citizen, who does not know these procedures, feels."
Love believes that the City of Midland will get a better gauge on whether racial profiling is occurring if the complaint forms are easier to access.
Midland Police Chief Price Robinson tells Big 2 that the city goes above and beyond to prevent racial profiling.
Robinson added that M.P.D. has no plans at this time to move the racial profiling complaint forms from where they're currently located.
