Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 131 § 131.905 — Legislative findings

Legislative findings. The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that: (1) Surveys of the trust and confidence placed by Oregonians in state and local law enforcement indicate that there are Oregonians who believe that some law enforcement officers have engaged in practices that inequitably and unlawfully discriminate against individuals solely on the basis of their race, color or national origin. (2) State and local law enforcement agencies can perform their missions more effectively when all Oregonians have trust and confidence that law enforcement stops and other contacts with individuals are free from inequitable and unlawful discrimination based on race, color or national origin. (3) Representatives of community interest groups and state and local law enforcement agencies agree that collecting certain demographic data about contacts between individuals and state or local law enforcement officers will provide a statistical foundation to ensure that future contacts are free from inequitable and unlawful discrimination based on race, color or national origin. (4) Demographic data collection can establish a factual and quantifiable foundation for measuring progress in eliminating discrimination based on race, color or national origin during law enforcement stops and other contacts with individuals, but data collection alone does not provide a sufficient basis for corrective action. Proper analysis of the demographic data and enactment of meaningful reforms in response to the results of that analysis require careful consideration of all relevant factors including the context of the community in which the data has been collected. (5) It is the goal of this state that all law enforcement agencies perform their missions without inappropriate use of race, color or national origin as the basis for law enforcement actions. This goal may be achieved by providing assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies and the communities that they serve. (6) This state shall foster, encourage and support the collection and analysis of demographic data by state and local law enforcement agencies. [2001 c.687 §5]