Maintenance of public trust and confidence in the police is critical to effective policing and is achieved largely through fair and equitable treatment of the public. This is a basic requirement of law enforcement and the right of all persons in our society. All persons having contact with members of this Department shall be treated in a non partisan, fair, equitable and objective manner, in accordance with law, and without consideration of their race, color, ethnicity, creed, age, gender, and sexual orientation, national origin, socio-economic standing or other individual characteristics or distinctions.

Bias Based Policing also referred to in some instances as (illegal) profiling refers to a decision by an officer to stop, detain, or search an individual based solely on the race, color, ethnicity, creed, age, gender, and sexual orientations, national origin, socio-economic standing or other individual characteristics or distinctions. The Department prohibits Biased-Based Policing / illegal profiling as a law enforcement tactic and will not tolerate or condone its use by any Member.

However, criminal profiling is a legitimate law enforcement tool. It is an investigative method in which an Officer through observation of activities and environment, identifies suspicious behavior by individuals and develops a legal basis, consistent with the Fourth Amendment, to detain and question.

Any person may file a complaint with the Department if they feel they have been stopped or searched based on illegal profiling / Bias-Based Policing. No person shall be discouraged, intimidated or coerced from filing such a complaint.