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Has the Madison Police Department generally stopped identifying the race of suspects in crime alerts? [1]

['Erin Gretzinger', 'Wisconsin Watch', 'More Erin Gretzinger', 'Reporting Intern']

Date: 2023-01-27 21:39:10+00:00

Reading Time: < 1 minute

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Yes.

In a statement, Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer said the department has stopped identifying the race of suspects in incident reports if “it is not believed (race) will assist in the apprehension or identification of a suspect.”

In a phone call, Fryer told Wisconsin Watch that it is not an official policy, and department staff could not pinpoint when this practice began. Fryer noted that MPD’s “Notable Calls” blog has abided by this practice for years. Fryer explained that suspect descriptions given to police are often too vague to assist with apprehension or identification.

Other police departments have taken similar steps in recent years to stop identifying the race of suspects in crime alerts, including the police department of the University of Minnesota. Minnesota’s university president said such descriptions may “unintentionally reinforce racist stereotypes.”

Sources

DocumentCloud: Madison Police Department Statement

Smart Politics: University of Minnesota to Stop Using Race in Crime Alert Suspect Descriptions

Inside Higher Ed: U of Nebraska at Lincoln under fire for including race in campus crime alert

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If we send you a request to change or remove Wisconsin Watch content from your site, you must agree to do so immediately. You are welcome to republish our articles forusing the following ground rules. For questions regarding republishing rules please contact Andy Hall, executive director, at [email protected] Has the Madison Police Department generally stopped identifying the race of suspects in crime alerts? <h1>Has the Madison Police Department generally stopped identifying the race of suspects in crime alerts?</h1> by Erin Gretzinger / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch January 27, 2023 <h3>Yes.</h3> In a statement, Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer said the department has stopped identifying the race of suspects in incident reports if "it is not believed (race) will assist in the apprehension or identification of a suspect." In a phone call, Fryer told Wisconsin Watch that it is not an official policy, and department staff could not pinpoint when this practice began. Fryer noted that MPD's "Notable Calls" blog has abided by this practice for years. Fryer explained that suspect descriptions given to police are often too vague to assist with apprehension or identification. Other police departments have taken similar steps in recent years to stop identifying the race of suspects in crime alerts, including the police department of the University of Minnesota. Minnesota's university president said such descriptions may "unintentionally reinforce racist stereotypes." Sources DocumentCloud: <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23587582-mpd-fryer-statement?responsive=1&title=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Madison Police Department Statement</a> Smart Politics: <a href="https://smartpolitics.lib.umn.edu/2015/02/25/university-of-minnesota-to-sto/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Minnesota to Stop Using Race in Crime Alert Suspect Descriptions</a> Inside Higher Ed: <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/17/u-nebraska-lincoln-under-fire-including-race-campus-crime-alert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U of Nebraska at Lincoln under fire for including race in campus crime alert</a> This <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/01/has-the-madison-police-department-generally-stopped-identifying-the-race-of-suspects-in-crime-alerts/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org">Wisconsin Watch</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-WCIJ_IconOnly_FullColor_RGB-1.png?fit=150%2C150&quality=100&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1276214&ga=UA-17896820-1" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

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