ACLU accuses a black mayor in Mississippi of racial profiling
August 2, 2006

ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON, Miss. -- The national American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday accused Jackson's black mayor of civil rights violations including racial profiling in his effort to cut crime.
The accusations against Mayor Frank Melton and police follow complaints from people who say they were pulled over on the basis of their race and searched without probable cause, said King Downing, the ACLU's national racial profiling coordinator.
Said Melton: "We have 26 people that have been killed in Jackson this year. We have 300,000 people killed across America each year. The majority of them are African American, and it's time to do something different."
Last month, he adopted a stricter curfew for teenagers and homeless people. He also continued a practice of riding with police.
The Mississippi attorney general has told him to stop wearing police gear, and the district attorney has said the mayor was breaking the law by impersonating a police officer.
Melton criticized the ACLU's plan to inform residents of their rights if police stop them.
"I hope they don't obstruct justice and give people false information," Melton said.