By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET— The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association (RIPCA) is holding a press conference today to announce the creation of a strategic plan that addresses racial profiling and other bias-based policing in the state.

The press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Cape Verdean American Community Development (CACD) building located at 120 High St. in Pawtucket.
Pawtucket Police Chief George L. Kelley III, the newly elected president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association, said the multi-year plan came about as the result of some 15 meetings that a RIPCA committee took part in to tackle the issue.
According to a press release, the RIPCA recognizes the issues surrounding racial profiling and bias-based policing, and strives to condemn these types of activities as unacceptable. The RIPCA states that bias-based policing includes “practices by individual officers or supervisors, managerial practices, and departmental programs, both intentional and non-intentional, that incorporates prejudicial judgments based on sex, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, religious belief or age that are inappropriately applied.”
The press release states that members of RIPCA “acknowledge the need to establish and maintain a dialogue with the minority community to create understanding, insight and comprehension of each other’s perspectives.
The RIPCA also announced that, in an effort to achieve a level of awareness and the viewpoints of both the association and the minority community, a series of 10 goals and objectives have been created and adopted by the RIPCA within the strategic plan. Among these goals and objectives are:
1.) Establish a RIPCA Minority Advisory Board consisting of a diverse group of community members.
2.) Develop a model policy and encourage all police departments to adopt uniform procedures that prevent, identify and discipline bias-based practices and that promote bias-free policing.
3.) Establish a partnership with the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy to develop a comprehensive training program for all personnel that will prevent racial profiling, encourage diversity, emphasize customer service and police professionalism, and ensure that all officers have the knowledge, skills and abilities to provide services free from discriminatory practices.
4.) Create a standardized process and complaint form to investigate complaints of bias-based policing.
5.) Encourage all police departments to evaluate traffic stops quarterly, identify patterns of biased treatment by police officers, and annually evaluate police training, policies and procedures for performing traffic stops.
6.) Develop a public information and education program to maintain open communication with the community.
7.) Work to develop a police selection process that meets the needs of contemporary policing strategies and practices that promote bias-free policing.
8.) Establish a model policy recommending the adoption of early intervention systems (EIS).
9.) Establish a model policy governing the use of all audio and visual recording devices.
10.) Develop a statewide policy that encourages every department to identify a “Police/Community Advocate” that will help with the transparency of police practices.
The press release further states that members of the RIPCA are “extremely interested in assembling members of the minority community who wish to participate in a unified effort to build relationships that will assist the RIPCA in achieving the 10 goals that have been created.”