Columbia, S.C. - For generations, the relationship between law enforcement and the minority community has been strained by accusations of racial profiling. On Thursday night, the Columbia Urban League held a town hall meeting, hoping to shed some light on an issue that some people say goes beyond police targeting minorities.
Former Columbia Police Chief Charles Austin moderated the forum, and says he has also been a victim of profiling.
“We will never get this issue resolved,” says Austin. “We have to understand that it's much larger than just law enforcement and until we deal with it as a societal issue, we're going to continue the have problems.”
No national system tracks allegations of racial profiling, but 22 states do require agencies to report stops, searches and arrests by race. According to USC Law School Professor Josie Brown, South Carolina doesn't have such a law.
“So we don't have as much of a database to understand possible patterns of the existence of the problem," said Brown.
Brown believes that by requiring law enforcement to track such data, it would help create a concrete awareness for both individuals and police.
After Thursday’s town hall meeting, Columbia Urban League officials hope action will be taken on both sides of the issue.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH