Few New Mexico Police Agencies Keeping Up With Anti-Bias Policing Law

The review conducted by two groups found that when it came to meeting basic requirements for the law, just two agencies out of the state's 97 could say they were in compliance

By Julianne Hing Jul 20, 2012

Three years after New Mexico took a stand against racial profiling and bias-based policing by passing a law called the Prohibition of Profiling Practices Act of 2009 which prohibited the practice, it turns out that a mere fraction of police agencies across the state are barely complying with the terms of the law. That’s what [Somos Un Pueblo Unido](http://somosunpueblounido.org/) and the New Mexico State Conference NAACP found in a new report they released Thursday. The review conducted by the groups found that when it came to meeting basic requirements for the law, just two agencies out of the state’s 97 could say they were in compliance. The findings elsewhere were disappointing, as well, according to a press release: >The initial review included all law enforcement agencies in the state (n = 97). Half of the agencies have a written policy on biased-based policing, but less than a quarter (22%) of all the agencies surveyed have updated policies with a clear definition of biased-based policing and listed all of the protected classes, as is required by the 2009 Act. 33% of the agencies surveyed do not have a written policy at all. And 24% refused to provide information about their policies after multiple verbal or written requests; a clear violation of the Act and potentially, the Inspection of Public Records Act.