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Grandmother urges council to address alleged racial profiling of her grandson
Summary
Deborah Douglas told the council her grandson was stopped by police while walking to school, described it as racial profiling and asked the city to provide bias training, a formal reporting process, and a youth advisory; she requested a response at the Nov. 10 council meeting.
At the public-comment portion of the Inver Grove Heights City Council meeting, resident Deborah Douglas described an incident she said involved racial profiling of her grandson.
Douglas said her grandson, a student walking to school, was stopped and questioned after a neighbor called police reporting him as "walking slowly and suspiciously." She said nothing escalated but called the stop "profiling" and said the police did not contact her, the child's guardian, afterward. "Let that sink in," she told the council. "A child walking slowly was considered suspicious and threatening."
Douglas asked the city to implement three steps: community education on racial bias, a formal reporting and review process for profiling incidents, and creation of a youth advisory that includes diverse voices. She also asked for a formal written response and a verbal response at the Nov. 10 council meeting.
Mayor and staff acknowledged Douglas's comments and asked for her contact information so staff could follow up. The meeting record shows the request for a written and verbal response at the council's next regular meeting.
