Officials deny allegations of racial profiling
Friday, March 31, 2006
BILL PLOTT
News staff writer
Hueytown officials denied recent allegations by black residents that racial profiling goes on in the police department.

Joyce Culpepper Tyus said she thinks profiling was involved in black youths being searched twice at Martin Luther King Park on March 17.

"White kids hang out in the supermarket parking lots all the time," she said at a recent City Council meeting.

Council President Carole Marks said she had been contacted by Tyus after the incident and had requested an investigation by council member Ray Roberson, who oversees the police department.

She asked Roberson for a report on his investigation.

"I would not ever condone anything like that (profiling) in Hueytown," he said. "At Martin Luther King Park a citizen complaint was called in at 3:15 p.m. about a bunch of youths drinking and being rowdy. We have to respond to complaints from citizens."

Roberson, using police dispatch logs, said about an hour later there was a 911 call about fighting at the park.

"We would rather be safe than sorry," he added.

Although appearing to accept that explanation, Tyus was not satisfied with the issue in general. She said she has seen occasions when "three or four police cars" were involved in stopping one young black male.

"I have seen it. I have witnessed it. You may want to deny it," she said.

Police Chief Doug McBee said officers are instructed to search vehicles for their own safety, but he said "dispatching is done on a need basis, not a race basis."

Several other black residents at the meeting shared Tyus' views on possible profiling in Hueytown.


Too funny.

Whaaaaaa, stop committing 90% of all violent crimes if you don't like racial profiling!!

Statistics dont lie

"At Martin Luther King Park a citizen complaint was called in at 3:15 p.m. about a bunch of youths drinking and being rowdy. We have to respond to complaints from citizens."