It probably wonโt surprise anyone (Black) to hear that police in the wealthy community of Beverly Hills arenโt the friendliest to Black people. But the allegations in this new lawsuit still might surprise (and horrify) you.
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The lawsuit is accusing Beverly Hills law enforcement officers of racially profiling nearly 1,100 Black drivers during traffic stops. The case is being spearheaded by civil rights Attorney Ben Crump, who called the stops โracial profiling 101.โ
According to Crump, from August 2019 to August 2021, 1,088 Black people were arrested by the Beverly Hills Police Department. However, only two of those arrests resulted in convictions. Whatโs more, he says that 90% of the people arrested by the โRodeo Drive Task Forceโ were Black, even though Black Americans make up only 1.5% of the population.
This is a dog whistle saying, โWe donโt welcome Black people in Beverly Hills.โ This is wrong, and they MUST be held accountable!โ wrote Crump on X (formerly Twitter).
The city is denying that racial profiling is taking place. โThe City of Beverly Hills is an international destination that always welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,โ they wrote in a statement to NBC News. โThe role of the Beverly Hills Police Department is to enforce the law, regardless of race.โ
Despite the cityโs protestations, Crump and his team are pushing forward with the lawsuit. In total, the aggrieved parties are asking for $500 million.
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