WHEREAS, in a free society, law enforcement is entrusted and expected to protect the civil rights of its citizens; and the vast majority of police officers perform their duty in a professional and impartial manner free of bias; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes that tensions created by some police contacts with citizens have become a concern to police and citizens alike; and this tension has been heightened by allegations of bias based policing and discriminatory practices; and

WHEREAS, it is also recognized that criminal drug organizations will use public transportation systems to move illegal drugs throughout the country, and it is a necessary and vital law enforcement function to interdict these shipments; and

WHEREAS, the law enforcement officers involved in drug interdiction efforts must ensure no use of biased based policing and ensure that policies are consistent with both federal and state laws, legal opinions and court decisions on such activity and ensure professional and ethical conduct at all times; and

WHEREAS, traffic stops should not be made on the basis of the motorist’s race, ethnicity, or economic status, but rather on articulable suspicion or actual violation of a law; and

WHEREAS, participants at this forum acknowledge that to strengthen trust and confidence between law enforcement and the community, its citizens and officers must have mutual respect; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 108th Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada, does not endorse, train, teach, support, or condone any type of bias based policing by any law enforcement agency or individual acting under the law; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police hereby commits its resources and energies to work at all levels to enhance trust between police and the communities they serve; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges all law enforcement agencies to examine their interdiction strategies and their mission and value statements, training programs, field supervision, evaluation of citizen complaints and traffic stop data and other efforts to ensure that racial or ethnic based traffic stops are not being employed within their agencies and that all citizens are treated with the utmost courtesy and respect when they encounter our officers; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police reaffirms its long standing position against biased based policing or any other.