Public Dialogue Series: Racial Profiling

Racial Profiling

Conversations will center around primary/secondary stops with regards to racial profiling, police interactions with the disability community and the role of social workers, and diversity in policing.

There will be a panel discussion with many opportunities for Q & A with audience members.

When: Monday, April 25th, 2022 at 1 PM

Location: Virtually via Zoom

Click here to Register

Passcode: 610298

 

Panelists Includes

Ken Barone, Associate Director, Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy

Ken Barone is currently a Project Manager with the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at University of Connecticut. Since 2012, Ken has managed the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project (CTRP3). This project works to implement the state of Connecticut’s Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling law. The Alvin W. Penn law requires law enforcement agencies to collect information on traffic stops and report that information to CCSU. Ken is responsible for coordinating data collection and submission from 106 law enforcement agencies. He works with the Connecticut Data Collaborative to make the data available to the public through an online data portal. He has co-authored three reports analyzing municipal and state police data for evidence of discrimination. In addition, he is responsible for staffing the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Advisory Board, three subcommittees and is the legislative liaison for the project with the Connecticut General Assembly. Ken is also a certified Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services “Fair and Impartial Police” trainer. He has trained over 800 law enforcement officers since 2014. Ken has served as a project consultant in California, Oregon, and Rhode Island on the implementation of their statewide traffic stop data collection programs. This includes helping states design electronic data collection system, develop analytical tools for identifying racial disparities in traffic stop data, and implementing training programs to address implicit bias in policing. In addition, Ken also manages the Connecticut law that requires the collection and analysis of incidents involving electronic defense weapons. Ken co- authored a 2016 report on the use of electronic defense weapons by local and state police. He also co-authored a report on the regulation of transportation network companies in Connecticut, and a report on the Connecticut law to raise the age of juvenile offenders to 18. He has provided project assistance to the Juvenile Jurisdiction Policy and Operations Coordinating Council, the Connecticut Re-entry Roundtable Collaborative, and the Institute’s Children of Incarcerated Parent’s initiative.

Harold Medlock, Retired, Fayetteville NC Police Chie

Chief Medlock served as Chief of Police of the Fayetteville Police Department from February 18, 2013 to December 31, 2016. He served over two decades with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in a variety of assignments. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2008 and oversaw the Field Services South Group, while serving as National Special Security Event (NSSE) Co-Chair for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.   Chief Medlock earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and an MBA from Pfeiffer University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, the FBI National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police.   Chief Medlock actively served on several law enforcement and social issue boards including the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, the North Carolina Police Executives Association, the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission and the N.C. Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparity.

Shafiq Abdussabur, Retired Sergeant, New Haven Police Department and member of the Police Transparency and Accountability Task Force

Shafiq R. Fulcher Abdussabur is a retired law enforcement sergeant in Connecticut with over 21 years of community-based police training and experience. During his career, he has served as police detective assigned to major crimes, community patrol officer, chief executive officer (2007/2008), patrol sergeant (12/2014-6/2016), and district commander (7/2016 to 9/2017). Some of his assignments have included, missing persons, prisoner processing and release, fatal and non-fatal firearm assaults, youth management, gang investigation, undercover major crime investigations, urban community liaison, community development, statewide officer training/development, strategic crime planning/design and City Blockwatch Coordinator (2015).   His unique views and approach to urban violence prevention, racial profiling prevention and community based policing have been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, NPRWhere We Live, New Haven Independent, NPR-All Things Considered, WYBC-Electric Drum, New Haven Advocate, Russian Radio, BBC, PBS, New York Daily News, New Haven Register, Hartford Courant, and Al Jazeera America. He has appeared as guest host on WNPR's “Where We Live He is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post and New Haven Register. In 2015, he acquired his own educational based radio talk show on 103.5 FM entitled “Urban Talk Radio” which simulcasted on New Orleans Talk Radio. Some of Shafiq’s recent literary works on National Security is published in the 2017 Spring/Summer edition of the FLETC Journal.   Career highlights: In January 2007, Shafiq was appointed coordinator and program writer of the New Haven Street Outreach Workers Program, a proactive social development program aimed at reducing violent crime among youth and young adults. Within its first five months, New Haven posted an 86 percent reduction in homicides. He served as the chief executive officer for the New Haven Police Department under Police Chief Francisco Ortiz Jr. In June of 2008, both CTRIBAT Institute For Social Development Inc. (founded by Shafiq Abdussabur) and the New Haven Street Outreach Workers Program were awarded the All-American City Award in Tampa, Florida.   In 2007, he was recognized as the New Haven independent “Man of the Year.” In 2009, he authored of "A Black Man's Guide to Law Enforcement in America" a straight talk manual to interactions between police and urban males. Going beyond the "driving while black" and the “Stop-Frisk” philosophy. Shafiq’s perspective is seen as a catch 22 because he's a Black man and a 21 year veteran cop who lives and polices the inner city where he grew up. In 2012, he was elected as the President of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), where he created a historical partnership with the Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence-- another prime example that Shafiq keeps going above and beyond to fight a for a cause he believes strongly in. In 2014, he was recognized as the 14th most inspirational Muslim men in America. In 2015, the African-American Affairs Commission (AAAC) awarded him “Man of the Year.” Member of PERF, IACP, and NABLEO. Police union executive (5/2013-1/2018).   National lectures and presentations: Democratic National Convention panel speaker with Representative John Lewis “Disarm Hate: The Role of Guns in Hate Crimes" (7/2016), guest presenter at 2016 FLETC Summit on “Trending Issues in Policing” (8/2016), Yale University Divinity School “Black, American, Muslim, and Cop” (3/2017), Certifications: FBI- LEEDS Regional Conference, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (3/2017), DHS Countering violent extremism-CVE Glynco, G.A. (4/2017). Amtrak RAILSAFE Counter Terrorism-CT, (6/2017).

Claudine Constant, ACLU Policy Director and member of the Police Transparency & Accountability Task Force Subcommittee

Claudine Constant joined the ACLU of Connecticut in 2019 and serves as the organization’s public policy and advocacy director. Her primary responsibilities include building a statewide political advocacy infrastructure that leverages the ACLU-CT’s policy and organizing expertise; shaping and leading multi- faceted, nonpartisan campaigns that achieve critical policy priorities of the ACLU-CT; and connecting campaign work to all aspects of the organization and to all levels of political action – state as well as local.   Motivated by a passion for service and justice, Claudine has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to learning about justice and equity, while simultaneously building a career in the nonprofit sector. As an empath and firm believer that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, Claudine has always been moved to action to protect, support, and strengthen her community, particularly those that have been harmed by oppressive and racist systems of power.   Equipped with a B.S. in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University, along with two years of service-learning experience by way of the AmeriCorps Program Public Allies Connecticut, Claudine has experience working in the world of food justice and urba agriculture, federally qualified health centers, health equity and policy, and recently served as a City Councilperson fo the City of Hartford.   In her off time, Claudine loves to eat and cook, garden, travel, paint, and spend time with her loved ones.  

Moderator, Tom Condon

Tom writes about urban and regional issues for CT Mirror, including planning, transportation, land use, development and historic preservation. These were among his areas of interest in a 45-year career as a reporter, columnist and editorial writer for The Hartford Courant. Tom has won dozens of journalism and civic awards, and was elected to the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a native of New London, a graduate of The University of Notre Dame and the University of Connecticut School of Law, and is a Vietnam veteran.

Schedule of Events

1:00 pm: Introduction of Moderator and Panelists

1:05 pm: Presentation by Ken Barone on the Primary and Secondary Stop Proposal developed by the Police Transparency and Accountability Task Force

1:15 pm: Moderator (Tom) will ask Chief Medlock to share his experience making reforms to the Fayetteville Police Department

1:25 pm: Moderated discussion with the panelists

2:25 pm: Closing remarks