NAACP/ACLU allege racial profiling & excessive arrests during Urban Beach Week

[Terminator]

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, is requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate excessive profiling by the Miami Beach Police Department following the arrests of more than 1,000 people during a Memorial Day weekend festival.

Leaders from both organizations held a news conference Friday in front of the police station to draw attention to what they claim is racial profiling by the department. Members of the NAACP claim that police treatment during May's Urban Beach Week festival was different than that of other festival events held in the city.

"This year we had an outrageous 1,010 arrests, some of which were misdemeanors which are ordinarily handled by citations," said Juvais Harrington, president of the Miami-Dade County chapter of the NAACP.

Harrington said that number was a 300 percent increase from last year.

"When we see this number of arrests, it says to us that these may be targeted arrests, and that speaks to some kind of policy that was formulated prior to this event happening," said ACLU representative Carlene Sawyer. "And that's a real concern for us."

Ashley Toussaint, a Miami-Dade County schoolteacher, was one of the more than 1,000 who were arrested during the seventh-annual Urban Beach Week festival, which ran from May 24-29. He said the arresting officers treated him like "scum."

"That was the worst 24 hours of my life," Toussaint said. "I was disrespected and treated like a criminal when, in actuality, the people who were supposed to serve and protect me were the criminals."

Others who were also arrested Memorial Day weekend: Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Santonio Holmes, and Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Awvee Storey.

Urban Beach Week is the largest urban festival in the world and caters to the hip-hop generation 23 and older, according to the Web site.

Police have not yet commented on the allegations.

[zpd307]

wtf! hes starting to sound like the crazy antigay soldier bitch.

[Ducky]

Notice they're carefully NOT stating the percentages of arrests for specific offences? I'm wondering how many were for B&E and similar crap.

[lesta311]

They only stated 1010 arrests. For what? They didn't even cite how many of the arrests were based on a particular race? These organizations need to start giving more details and fact's before they go spouting off about inappropriate police action.

[zpd307]

They only stated 1010 arrests. For what? They didn't even cite how many of the arrests were based on a particular race? These organizations need to start giving more details and fact's before they go spouting off about inappropriate police action.

EXACTLY!