Police Practices

"If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."
-- Louis Brandeis,
U.S. Supreme Court Justice,
Olmstead v. United States (1928)

Police have the vital and difficult job of protecting public safety. Performing this job effectively does not require sacrificing civil liberties or civil rights. All Oregon police agencies, from the state patrol to city police forces, need to respect the rights of individuals while enforcing the law. And when misconduct occurs, there must be policies and mechanisms for holding police accountable for their actions.

ACLU is also working to eliminate racial and ethnic profiling in police practices that have a disproportionate impact on individuals merely because of their race, color, national origin or religion.

For more information on your rights when stopped by the police, please feel free to download our Your Rights in Oregon card (under Related Documents).

Litigation

Moss v. Secret Service

ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Secret Service, Local Police Case Tied to 2004 Anti-Bush Demonstration

On August 4, 2010, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke issued his Report and Recommendations in Moss et al. v. U.S. Secret Service et al. In this class action suit the ACLU represents individuals and groups that protested outside the Jacksonville Inn on Oct. 14, 2004, while President Bush was dining at the inn.

Hadland v. City of Sweet Home

ACLU Challenges Impoundment of Man's SUV for Someone Else's Driving

July 13, 2009 - The ACLU is representing Wayne Hadland in his suit against the City of Sweet Home to get relief from the improper impoundment of his vehicle.

see all

Legislation

SEARCH & SEIZURE: Police Roadblocks (HB 3133) (2011)

HB 3133, the statutory companion to HJR 25 was intended to place uniform statutory requirements if law enforcement were to use roadblocks (assuming HJR 25 passed).

SEARCH & SEIZURE: Police Road Blocks (HJR 25) (2011)

A constitutional amendment to weaken our search and seizure provision (Article I, section 9) of the Oregon Constitution was introduced for the third session in a row. HJR 25 would have amended the constitution to authorize law enforcement to use roadblocks to stop and question individuals to detect drunk drivers without any individualized suspicion of wrongdoing.

see all

Other

ACLU Opposes City Council's Exclusion Order

November 18, 2010 – The ACLU of Oregon has urged the Portland City Council to oppose the creation of new exclusion zones for those found guilty of gun-related offenses.