Palo Alto adopts prohibition on racial profiling

Palo Alto Police Chief Lynne Johnson unveiled a new policy prohibiting racial profiling by officers Thursday night, but it did little to appease critics who want an independent panel to review police conduct. Technically known as a ``general order,'' the policy states that the department will have ``zero tolerance'' for racial profiling, which it defines as any police-initiated action that relies on the race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than an individual's behavior or information about an individual engaging in criminal activity. The police department has come under fire from civic activists who say that a series of incidents involving minorities who allege they were wrongfully targeted by the police have created the need for an independent police auditor such as one in San Jose, or a civilian review board. [more]