5-C Students Perceive CPD Racial Profiling
By Caleb Oken-berg
Staff Writer

Four years after Claremont Police officers shot and killed Irvin Landrum Jr., an 18-year-old African American, at a routine traffic stop, there remains a perception on campus that the Claremont Police Department (CDP) engages in racial profiling.

In January 1999, officers Hany Hanna and Kent Jacks shot and killed Landrum after stopping him for speeding on Foothill Boulevard, claiming that he drew a gun, fired, and missed. An investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department concluded that not only did the gun lack Landrum's fingerprints, but also that the weapon itself had never been fired. However, two independent investigations conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office found no fault with the officers who later retired due to emotional stress.

Following the shooting, public outcry was intense. Students and staff of the Claremont Colleges joined members of the community to protest what they believed was evidence of racial profiling by the police officers. As a result, last July the CPD began a 15-month racial profiling study, where a driver's sex, age, race or ethnicity and city of residence are recorded at all traffic stops.

Although no major controversial incidents have occurred since the Landrum shooting, members of Pomona community continue to perceive racial profiling.

"I haven't heard of anything this year, or the year before, but that doesn't mean stuff doesn't happen," said Asian American Resource Center Director, Daren Mooko.

Mooko cites minor interactions of police, such as minorities being followed unnecessarily in their cars, as a continuing indication that the CPD engages in racial profiling. He also believes that even just one incident of racial profiling is reason enough to suspect the police.

"It's happened in the past and it could happen again," explained Mooko.

Captain Darrell McGehee, police liaison to the Claremont Colleges, felt, however, that concern was misplaced and denied emphatically that his department engages in racial profiling.

"I review arrest reports, I review citations on a weekly basis," McGehee said. "There is no evidence that one race is being arrested over any other."

McGehee, who has been with the force for 13 years, points to the fact that all CPD officers partake in cultural diversity programs, and that the city of Claremont has made a tremendous effort to bring in outside training to raise awareness of racial issues. Supervisors and managers of police officers also continually audit the conduct of officers.

While there is a perception among many students that the Claremont Police racially profile, the actual interaction between students and the Claremont Police on campus is minimal.

"All things considered, I'd say they are not here very often," said Ann Quinley, Dean of Students at Pomona. "I'd bet they are here around 12 times a year."

According to police records, there were 661 calls for service to the Claremont Colleges in 2002. However, because of an agreement between CPD and the Colleges, Campus Safety responded to the vast majority of those calls.

Usually, the Claremont Police only responds to cases that Campus Safety cannot manage itself, such as violent crimes or some cases of severe alcohol poisoning. The rest of nonviolent security issues, such as vandalism and minor theft, are left in the hands of Campus Safety. Because of this agreement, students are much more likely to interact with Campus Safety than the CPD.

Despite the relatively low profile that the Claremont Police assume on campus, incidents in the surrounding community clearly affect the way students perceive the agency. Adam Briggs '05 claims that he was tipped off about the CPD's interaction with minorities even before enrolling at Pomona.

"When I was a prospective student here, people told me to watch out for the CPD- that they do not like students of color," Briggs said.

Mooko believes that racial profiling is not limited to students, but also extends to faculty. He cited an example from several years ago in which an African American female faculty member was stopped repeatedly while walking from her residence to the college campus by the Claremont Police. According to Mooko, this faculty member was a victim of racial profiling, and has since left her position as a result.

Jennifer Jones '03, President of the Pan African Student Association, argued that people of color make up a significant portion of the city and the colleges, and that the department's traffic stops and arrests ought to be in similar proportion to the community at-large.

"I think the Claremont Police Department needs to learn how to be a lot more reflective of their population," she said.

Despite allegations of racial profiling, both McGehee and Quinley claim that they have yet to receive an official objection regarding racial profiling from a Pomona student.

McGehee asserts that the CPD has a form that can be filed as a formal complaint against the department, but that as of yet no students have made use of this.

In a similar vein, Quinley said that she keeps a form on hand in her office for such issues, but has not needed to use it recently. "I have not had a complaint in three years from a student of color regarding racial targeting," said Quinley.