Racial Profiling Statement

In accordance with 77th Legislature’s mandate prohibiting racial profiling in Texas, the Cedar Park Police Department affirms its commitment to unbiased policing in all encounters between an officer and any person. Furthermore, the Department will take measures to ensure behaviors and operating procedures that serve to promote public confidence and mutual trust through the provision of services in a fair and equitable fashion. Racial bias policing or “Racial Profiling” is a method and behavior that the Cedar Park Police Department will not condone, nor tolerate and has established policy and procedure to prohibit.

Definition:

Racial profiling is a law enforcement-initiated action based on an individual's race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on the individual's behavior or on information identifying the individual as having engaged in criminal activity.

Racial profiling pertains to persons who are contacted and viewed as suspects or potential suspects of criminal behavior. The prohibition against racial profiling does not preclude the use of race, ethnicity, or national origin as factors in a detention decision. Race, ethnicity, or national origin may be legitimate factors in a detention decision when used as part of an actual description of a specific suspect for whom an officer is searching. Detaining an individual and conducting an inquiry into that person's activities only because of that individual's race, ethnicity or national origin is racial profiling.

The Cedar Park Police Department shall accept complaints from any person who believes he or she has been stopped or searched based on racial, ethnic, or national origin profiling. No person shall be coerced or discouraged from filing a complaint, nor discriminated against because he or she filed such a complaint.

Complaints can be filed in person, by phone, or in written form. The Cedar Park Police department has established a pre-printed form for all complaints and will make that form available to assist any member of the community in filing a formal complaint against a member of the department. All complaints of employee misconduct or racial profiling will be reviewed by the Chief of Police and assigned for investigation.

Complaints can be filed with any department supervisor or through the Professional Standards Division at 512-260-4600 or in person at 

911 Quest Parkway
Cedar Park, TX78613

If a person has a complaint regarding a Cedar Park Police Officer's delivery of police services, their demeanor, conduct, alleged racial profiling, or any other form of misconduct, they should contact the department by phone at 512-260-4600 or in person and ask for an on-duty supervisor. Any supervisor can take a complaint from a member of the community and will provide a Confidential Citizen’s Complaint Form upon request.