Dallas County Sheriff's Department Racial Profiling Policy
308.02 DEFINITIONS
Racial Profiling: For the purpose of this order the term racial profiling shall mean the act of selecting or targeting a person(s) for law enforcement contact based exclusively on the individual's race, ethnicity, or national origin and not upon reasonable suspicion sufficient to justify a law enforcement initiated action or contact.
Law enforcement contact: For the purpose of this order the term law enforcement contact will include but be not limited to;
Pedestrian stop,
Vehicle traffic stop,
Field interrogation.
Stop: For the purpose of this order the term stop= shall mean an interaction between a deputy and an individual who is being detained for the purpose of a criminal investigation, regardless of the level (misdemeanor or felony), in which the individual is not under arrest.
Reasonable suspicion: For the purpose of this order the term reasonable suspicion shall mean a reasonable belief, based either upon a deputy's personal observations or upon reliably reported or communicated information, that a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime.
Detainee: For the purpose of this order the term detainee shall mean any person(s) detained as a result of law enforcement contact for the purpose of a criminal investigation, regardless of the level (misdemeanor or felony), in which the individual is not under arrest.
Deputy: For the purpose of this order the term Deputy shall apply to all sworn departmental members, regular and reserve, regardless of rank, title, or assignment.
Articulative: For the purpose of this order the term articulative shall mean the ability to definitively correlate an individual's actions, or other circumstances associated with an individual, with a legitimate motivation for initiating a law enforcement contact.
CAD: For the purpose of this order the term CAD= [Computer Aided Dispatch] will encompass the entire computerized system utilized by the Communications Section in the collection and preservation of data.
MDC: For the purpose of this order the term MDC= [ Mobile Data Computer] refers to the authorized onboard computer system utilized by field deputies to electronically receive and transmit data to and from the Communications Section.
