Police officers have the vital and difficult job of protecting public safety – a job they must perform without trampling individuals’ civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU works to ensure that police officers interact with the public on a race-neutral basis and with respect for individuals’ constitutional rights. Through policy advocacy and in court, we hold police officers and agencies accountable to the public that they serve.
Molina v. Book – Advancing the right to observe police, and challenging qualified immunity doctrine, which shields officials from constitutional accountability
Cameron v. District of Columbia – Challenging Practice of Needlessly Retaining Arrested Individuals' Cell Phones for Months or Years Without Process
Asinor v. District of Columbia – Challenging Use of Chemical Irritants and Less-Lethal Projectiles Against Demonstrators and Journalists
Young Freedom of Information Act Requests
ACLU-DC v. District of Columbia – Challenging D.C. Police’s Failure to Release Stop-and-Frisk Data
Black Lives Matter D.C. v. Trump – Challenging Federal Officers’ Unprovoked Attack on Civil Rights Demonstrators at Lafayette Square in Front of the White House
ACLU-DC Testimony before the D.C. Council on the Street Vending Decriminalization Amendment Act and the Sidewalk Vending Zones Amendment Act
ACLU-DC Testifies at the Budget Oversight Hearing for The Metropolitan Police Department
ACLU-DC Testimony before the DC Council Committee on the Recommendations of the D.C. Police Reform Commission
The Latest
Together, We’re Changing the Face of Crisis Response in D.C.
August 31, 2023Lawsuit Challenges Unequal Response to Mental Health Emergencies in...
July 6, 2023COURT OF APPEALS DENIES CONSTITUTIONAL CLAIMS AGAINST FEDERAL...
June 23, 2023ACLU-D.C. Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Demonstrator Injured by...
March 14, 2023ACLU-D.C. SEEKS SYSTEMATIC PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER...
February 5, 2023